


In Another Life (I could be your man)

by angelicmisskitty



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Homeless, F/M, Fluff, SO MUCH FLUFF, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-21
Updated: 2018-04-18
Packaged: 2018-09-11 00:07:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 166,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8944795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelicmisskitty/pseuds/angelicmisskitty
Summary: Their lives couldn't be more different - and yet Oliver can't take his eyes off the beautiful blonde woman that leaves the subway every morning at 7.43am. There is something about her that makes him look up every morning - something that also makes him aware he'll never be good enough for her, or that she'd even notice him.He had no idea how much his life would change the day he rushed over to help her...Olicity AU - no Lian Yu, no saving the city (at least not in the way we know from Arrow :D )





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by '[Hang My Head Break My Heart](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1348918/chapters/2814238)' by user Ciara2531 on here (and I'm still super sad that she didn't finish it), I came up with this idea.  
> It's really fun to write and I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I do! :)
> 
> As for the few people asking about The Blind Side... I promise to finish at least another chapter during christmas vacation! I want this story finished just as much as you guys. :D

Her day had officially gone to shit. And it wasn’t even 8am.  
First, Felicity broke a heel off her brand new Jimmy Choo’s, then someone drove through a puddle and sprayed her entire legs and skirt with the remnants of last night’s downpour. So when she left her apartment for the third time that morning, she actually had to run to catch her subway and make it to work on time. When she even managed to grab a free seat, her shitty mood lifted a bit, giving her a chance to call in at work and let her assistant know she’ll be a few minutes late.  
But just when the doors opened at her station and she got up to leave, someone rudely bumped into her, making her lose her footing and stumble to the ground.  
Her bag skittered to the floor, the phone in her hand flew away and with a shriek, she went down to the ground. The man bumping into her didn’t even glance back and neither did anyone else leaving the subway with her.

But then two strong hands grabbed her arms and helped her up.  
“Are you okay, Miss?” a male voice asked her. It took Felicity a moment to gather her thoughts before she looked into the baby blue eyes of the man crouched in front of her. She gulped and nodded once, then tried to wipe away the grease from her hands and knees and looked around. As soon as the subway closed its doors again and went on its route, the platform had cleared out almost completely, just a few people remaining. But still she couldn’t see her phone anywhere.  
The man seemed to sense her distress and handed her her bag. Felicity gave him a weak smile and thanks, but still kept looking around the station.  
“Are you looking for anything?”

“My phone,” she replied, “I had it in my hand when that idiot ran me over. I just hope I didn’t lose it in the subway.”  
The man got up and started walking around her, looking down the subway tracks. Felicity straightened her clothes and wiped her butt when the man got down on his knees and reached into a small nook between the tracks. Felicity watched him while keeping a cautious eye on the tunnels. The next subway would only be minutes away and she really didn’t want to have this kind man getting hurt just because she couldn’t find her damn phone.  
While he was still feeling around the tracks, Felicity got the chance to check him out for a moment. His clothes were worn and greasy in some areas and from the layers upon layers of clothing she guessed that he must spend quite a lot of nights outside, or in buildings that didn’t provide any form of heating. At a pillar behind her, a small white dog sat watching the man intently while also guarding a large backpack and some blankets on the ground.

“Think I got something,” the male voice snapped her out of her thoughts and made her turn around again. When the man got up and indeed held her phone up in his hand, Felicity didn’t even think about it but leaped forward and hugged him.

“Thank you SO much,” she spoke and slowly pulled back from him. His body had gone completely stiff the moment her arms wrapped around him, but she didn’t seem to notice. Her eyes focused on the phone in his hand while she kept rambling on.  
“I have all my work stuff on there, not to mention my entire contact list. My boss would’ve killed me if I’d lost it - again.” The slight eye roll she made at the end of her speech almost forced a small chuckle out of him.  
“Thank you, again. You have no idea how much you’ve just saved my day!” she smiled and quickly stuffed her phone into her bag. “I’d really like to thank you properly, but I was already running late when I entered that subway and my boss will probably have a coronary if I add up to that, today, of all days.” she hurried out and already took a few steps backwards to the stairs. He couldn’t help but stare at the blonde woman with the rambling mouth and the high heels that looked like they could do serious damage. It was kind of fascinating to see her so flustered and wound up, and not only because of the smile that covered her face.  
But just as quickly as the interaction between them had begun, it ended. With an awkward wave, she turned around and almost stormed up the stairs and out of sight without a glance back towards him.

“Funny morning, isn’t it, buddy?” he asked once he sat back down next to his dog and covered them both under the thin blanket again. The moment he’d seen the woman stumble and fall out of the open subway doors, he’d rushed over to catch her, but with so many people stepping in his way, there was no chance he’d get to her before she hit the ground. Unsurprisingly, the man who’d bumped into her from behind didn’t even look up when she fell but kept his eyes on the phone in his hand, stepping around her as if nothing had happened. He knew these kind of people all too well. A few years ago, he probably had been one of them himself.  
Thankfully, she didn’t seem hurt and when she wrapped her arms around him in a hug, she’d actually surprised the shit out of him. People usually kept their distance from him. He wasn’t sure if it was from his smell but rather from his worn and filthy clothes that clearly screamed ‘homeless’ to everyone who even looked at him. Not that they were wrong with that assumption.  
People usually were polite, but not overly interested to touch him, not that he’d minded. But having the pretty blonde throwing her arms around him as if he was any other man and not a homeless waif really caught him by surprise. Her sweet perfume still hung in his nose when he sat down beside Lucky, his closest friend out on the street.  
“And we didn’t even get her name,” he muttered and petted the dog’s ears.

 

All morning Felicity felt bad for rushing away from the helpful man like this, but she’d already been so late to the meeting, she really couldn’t afford to miss it entirely. And still she felt bad for not even thanking him properly. He did help her retrieve her 600$ phone, after all. But simply throwing him a 20$ bill would’ve been too disrespectful for her. And she didn’t even get his name.

 

**\--------------------------------**

 

The next morning she made a quick stop at Double Coffee and bought two cups before entering the subway again. Bringing him coffee to thank him for his help was the least she could do. Excitement filled her. She had woken up with the plan to surprise him with a steaming cup of coffee, but once the doors opened and she stepped out, her saviour was nowhere to be seen. The spot his dog had guarded the day before was now occupied by someone else, and the rest of the large station looked completely empty of any other homeless people. Felicity waited for the crowds to clear out before she crossed the station and walked over to the homeless man occupying the space between the bench and pillar.  
“Excuse me,” she began and only then the man paid her any attention and looked up. “I’m looking for someone who’d been sitting here yesterday morning. He had a little white dog with him.”

“Dunno,” the man shrugged, “spot was free this morning so I took it.”

Felicity frowned at his words. She had no idea there was some sort of competition of such spots out there between the homeless, but then again it only made sense. With a sigh, she held out one of her coffees to the man sitting in front of her.  
“Coffee? Sorry I don’t have any sugar or creamer with me, but I figured it’s too good to be thrown away.” she smiled and watched the man sending her an incredulous look before eyeing the offered good in her hand.  
With a small nod, he accepted it and took a small sip. “Thanks.” he muttered into the cup and Felicity watched him warm his hands on the paper cup for a moment before she turned and walked over to the exit. She had hoped this morning to turn out differently when she bought the coffee, but now she realized she maybe should’ve handed him a 20 in the first place instead of hoping to see him again the next day to say her thanks.

But Felicity wouldn’t be where she was in her life if she’d quitted after the first disappointment.  
Which was why she found herself in the subway to work the next morning, once again loaded with two cups of coffee rather than only one for herself. When the doors opened and she stepped out, though, not even the strange old man from the day before greeted her in the spot near the pillar. No, this time, the spot was completely deserted, making her frown on sight. She looked around for a moment, but other than a few people waiting for the next subway, there was no one sitting on the ground.  
“What am I going to do with you now, my little caffeine friend?” she mumbled to the paper cup in her hand. She was already up the stairs and making a beeline to the next trashcan when she spotted a homeless couple sitting down near the exit.  
“Good morning,” she spoke with a smile in her tone that earned her two very surprised looks. “This is a plain black coffee and this,” she held out her own cup after handing the man the first one, “is a caramel macchiato with extra sugar.” she winked. Handing over her own cup wasn’t really what she’d planned to do this morning when she’d bought it, but she felt too bad giving the couple only one coffee to share. Besides, there was unlimited access to the coffee machine at the company for her.  
“Thank you, Miss.” the woman spoke and accepted the cup, looking completely stunned by Felicity’s move.  
With a smile she took a step away from the couple. “Have a good day.”

 

It was two days later that Felicity saw her rescuer again. By the time she stepped out of the train she’d already given up on finding him sitting in the place she’d first seen him, so when she left the subway that morning and saw the thick scruff and baby blue eyes sitting next to the cute white spotted dog, her face split into a wide grin. Thank god she’d taken the early train to work today.  
“There you are!” she spoke loudly with a wide grin on her lips. Both the man and his dog looked up in surprise at the female voice aimed towards them, accompanied by the confident and strong click clack of her high heels. He didn’t have to look higher than up to her ankles to know exactly who was walking towards him. He already knew these heels by heart.  
When she stopped right in front of him and plopped down on the bench next to his spot, he couldn’t help but stare at her for a moment. The way she smiled and looked so completely relaxed, not bothering she could stain her pristine clothes or maybe even be seen with him by anyone, really baffled him.  
“I’ve been looking for you.”

And that completely rendered him speechless, not that he had said anything yet, anyway.  
_No one’s looking for you, especially not such a pretty woman, except for the cops when you’re a homeless man._

“And I’ve been pretty much feeding coffee to all the homeless people at the entire subway station in the last few days,” she added. And even though her words might have sounded accusing, the smile on her face was anything but. It surprised the hell out of him.  
“So now here you are, and of course today I don’t have any coffee with me.”

For a split second, he thought about pointing towards the vending machine a few feet away, but then decided against it. He really didn’t want to appear rude, even though he had no idea what she was talking about. And besides, the coffee from that vending machine didn't really qualify as such. Not by a long shot.

“So what’s your plan for the next 30 minutes?”

That actually snapped him out of his thoughts and made him look up again. Genuine interest covered her face, a warm smile playing on her lips. Her face didn’t give any indication that she was making fun of him, even though her words very much sounded like that to his ears.  
Warily, he shrugged. It’s not exactly a tight timetable homeless people had to live by. Whenever he managed to snag a job as a day-laborer somewhere around the city, he didn’t have to think about finding a dry, warm spot to spend the day. But since the days where he actually found work were quite rare, he usually got up early, decided on a spot to sit in the city and hoped he was still early enough to find it free. The last few days he’d been working once and then been not so lucky in securing a nice spot for the day since his usual places were all occupied already.

Felicity didn’t seem one bit irritated by his wordless reply.  
“Perfect,” she announced, got up from the bench and looked down at him expectantly. “then we can walk over to the Coffee House and I can finally treat you the coffee I wanted to give you days ago as a thanks for helping me get my phone back. And as a sorry for running out on you like I did.” she added and actually looked a little ashamed of herself. Oliver had no idea what to make of all that. He couldn’t remember the last time someone asked him to join them for coffee, especially not in the state he currently found himself in.  
When he didn’t move, she merely raised an eyebrow at him.  
“What is it? Don’t you want to have coffee with me?”  
He was about to answer when her features suddenly fell. “Wait, do you even like coffee? I mean, it’s rare, but I’ve heard of people who don’t drink coffee. Not that I could understand that in the slightest because let me tell you -”

“I like coffee.” he replied for the first time since she walked up to them.

As soon as she heard his words, her face broke out in a huge smile. “Perfect, then get up and let’s have coffee together.”

He looked over at Lucky for a moment. The dog looked equally wary of the quirky blonde standing in front of them, but after a moment, he was almost sure the dog slightly shrugged his shoulder, got up from his sitting position and waggled his tail once, looking at his owner expectantly. It was all the confirmation Oliver needed to get up, too. The spot would probably be lost once he left it, but so what. He could easily find another one, especially since it was sunny outside. No need to sit on a wet bench in the rain today, but even if he had to, if it meant to have coffee with that beautiful blonde waiting for him, then it’d be well worth it.

Felicity watched him slowly folding up his blanket and stuffing everything into the huge backpack. The dog stood patiently beside him and waited until his owner had finished packing, hauled the large backpack over his shoulders and put a thin leash on his collar. Only then he jumped forward and excitedly waggled his tail.  
“He’s cute,” Felicity told him with a warm smile. “What’s his name?”

“Lucky.”

He looked a little lost when she took him in, but then again, she felt equally lost at that moment. Only Lucky seemed to enjoy himself plenty.  
“Shall we?”

He nodded and watched her turn and walk away. For a moment he contemplated on sitting back down, still unsure if she was messing around with him. When she stopped and turned her head to make sure he followed her though, he made up his mind and fell in step with her. So what if she was trying to fool him. He could turn around and walk away at any point, no harm done, other than his ego for trusting someone against his better judgement.

 

Silently, they walked out of the subway station and through the streets of Starling City towards the Coffee House. He wasn’t sure what to expect from this coffee date, or what the blonde beauty walking next to him might have expected, but he guessed agreeing on a cup to go was the least he could do, not that he wouldn’t welcome the first hot beverage in more than a week.  
When she stopped in front of the glass doors though, sending him a smile before she proceeded to open one and motion for him to walk inside, he raised both hands and took a step back. There was no way he would walk inside there and sit down at one of their tables. Not in the way he looked, or worse - smelled. Even though he’d tried to take care of himself as good as possible, there was no chance for him to shower on a daily basis. And doing his daily catlick routine at a public restroom certainly didn’t help keeping his smell at bay, especially not since he barely had the chance to wash his clothes in the last weeks. No way in hell would he go inside that coffee shop with her, smelling like a week of sweat and filth and possibly be thrown out by the staff. That would not only embarrass him, but her as well and he had no intentions to humiliate her like that.  
“Miss, I... I really can’t go in there. They don’t allow dogs inside.” The lie easily fell from his lips, but it was the only thing he felt comfortable saying.

Felicity studied him for a moment while other people left the shop through the door she still held open. And even if she detected the lie he’d told her to cover himself, she thankfully didn’t comment on it or pressed any further.  
A small smile covered her lips. “I’ll be back in two minutes. What do you want?”

“Whatever you have.” he shrugged. “I’m not picky.”

If anything, Felicity suddenly looked offended by his last comment. “Well, I am! This is coffee we’re discussing here!” she spoke, her face looking at him in mocked outrage. It almost made him smile. “Besides, I’m going to order the girliest drink they serve and I’m not so sure you’re going to appreciate the sugar overload I call a good coffee. So, what do you want?”

No point arguing with a woman who’d just offered to buy him coffee.  
“Black coffee. One sugar and a little cream.” he replied. Felicity couldn’t help but snicker at his almost defeated look.

“So you like your coffee sweet and blonde? Coming right up.” she winked and rushed inside before Oliver could blink.

  
He watched her intently through the glass doors while Lucky sat close beside him. He knew he stood out like a sore thumb in that fancy part of town, with all the suits and dresses rushing along the sidewalk. But it wasn’t that he wasn’t used to it by now. After almost 4 years of living on the streets he’d learned not to care for disapproving looks of other people. Actually, he’d stopped paying attention to other people all together. All, except of the blonde woman he was watching through the glass doors of the coffee shop right now. The way she was gesturing around he could only imagine what kind of girly monstrosity of a coffee she must be ordering for herself. Before he could think any further, she turned and walked out of the shop, awkwardly waving her stuffed hand towards the barista.

“A tall sweet blondie for you.” she smiled happily and handed Oliver one of the two coffee cups. It was the first time in more than 6 days that his hands touched something warmer than his own body. He was about to thank her, when she offered him a brown paper bag as well.  
“Double chocolate muffin,” she explained at his confused look. “I forgot to ask you what kind of muffin you want, so I figured I’d go with the safest route. Everyone likes chocolate, right?”

Even if she would’ve told him there was a vegan, gluten free, almost tasteless rice cookie inside that bag, he would’ve been happy. It meant the first real meal in more than 30 hours for him. He’d just taken the paper bag from her delicate hand and was about to thank her for her kindness when his stomach let out a loud grumble at the smell of the muffin.  
He was so embarrassed he wanted to run away, but Felicity seemed amused at best. “Well, that sounds as if your stomach agrees with my choice of breakfast for you.” she chuckled.  
He blushed so profusely, he couldn’t even look her in the eyes when he rasped out a ‘thank you’, hiding most of his face under the hood of his sweater.  
“Do you want to head over to the park and see if we can find a free bench? My feet are killing me already and if I want to survive this day, I really need to sit down at some point.” she groaned and slowly twisted her ankle. It made him wonder for a moment if she’d maybe hurt herself during the fall a few days ago. He’d never asked her about any injuries before she rushed off.

“Did you hurt yourself when you fell?”

Felicity looked seriously surprised by his question for a moment.  
“Oh, only my ego. The rest is just fine.” she waved him off with a laugh and motioned for the park down the street. He took a step forward and Lucky immediately followed him.  
Together they found a bench under a tree, a little secluded from the large walkways where joggers and cyclists would rush along. He sat down, heaved the heavy backpack off his shoulders and took the leash off the dog’s collar.

“Don’t run too far, buddy. We don’t want you to get caught.” he murmured to the dog before he watched him dash away to hunt some pigeons on the greenery.

“What’s your name?”  
Her voice broke the silence between them after a few minutes. They both kept watching Lucky enjoying himself on the greenery while sipping on their coffees. He had yet to touch the muffin and even though his stomach almost screamed at him to eat it, he didn’t want to appear rude and start eating before she did.

“Oliver.” he rasped out. It wasn’t that he had to use his voice that often lately and all the people that usually talked to him already knew his name. But somehow it felt good telling her who he was because for a moment it gave him the feeling of being a little closer to her. Closer than just sitting on the ground and watching her walk past him every few mornings when she stepped out of subway line 12 at 7.43am. Not that he stalked her. She was just the prettiest thing he saw every morning and sometimes the only pretty thing all day.

She smiled at him before answering. “I’m Felicity.”

Felicity. Even her name sounded beautiful. And fitting.  
“That means happiness in latin.” he replied.

Felicity’s head whipped around in surprise at that. It wasn’t that she didn’t know that, because she did. It was because never before someone had known the meaning of her name. Most people only asked her where it came from and who gave it to her since it sounded so different.

“Are you from Starling City?”  
There were a ton of other questions she wanted to ask, but since he was so on edge already, even looking a bit uncomfortable sitting with her, she really didn’t want to appear pushy and kept her questions light.

At her question, his body froze for a moment. But since she clearly had no idea who he was, he willed himself to relax and replied.  
“Born and raised.” he nodded and took a sip of his coffee, never taking his eyes off the dog running around the pastures. It seemed to Felicity that he was more concerned about the safety of his dog than actually getting any food into his stomach. A stomach that only minutes ago loudly protested to be fed.

“Well, why don’t we eat?” she suggested, hoping to steer his attention toward the paper bag in his lap. “The barista told me they’re fresh out of the oven.”

Oliver nodded, but didn’t seem in a rush to dive in. In fact, he seemed hesitant to eat, always keeping an eye on her, even though he tried to mask it under his hood. When it dawned on Felicity that he didn’t want to eat without her, she couldn’t help but smile.  
Not wanting to keep him waiting, she made quick work of unwrapping her raspberry vanilla muffin and took a huge bite off it. She could see Oliver studying her out of the corner of his eye before he carefully unfolded the bag, pulled out the chocolate muffin and stared down at it for a moment as if it was the most precious thing he ever held.

“You make me look bad if you don’t start eating soon.” Felicity muffled with a full mouth, some raspberry frosting covering the corner of her lip. Right at that moment she couldn’t care less about etiquettes and manners. The sugary overload was just what she needed and besides, Oliver didn’t really seem like caring too much for table manners anyway.

With the smallest tug of his lips, he started peeling the wrapper off and split the muffin in two, placing one half back on the paper bag. The other he ate in slow, small bites, as if devouring the whole thing as much as he could - a total difference to the way Felicity almost ravished hers.  
By the time she had finished off her muffin, Oliver had eaten the half in his hand but didn’t make any move to eat the other one, too. She could only imagine that the small cake barely filled his stomach for half an hour.  
“Storing the other half for later?”

“No,” he replied, wiped his hands and took another sip of his coffee. “That’s Lucky’s half.”

At his words, her heart melted a little more. This sweet and helpful man even shared the little food that he got with his dog. When she entered the coffee shop and ordered the muffins along with their coffees, she didn’t even think about Oliver’s dog. Now she felt incredibly shameful for having eaten her own muffin so quickly.

 

They didn’t talk much after that, but neither seemed uncomfortable with the silence between them. Oliver kept watching Lucky, who came running towards them every now and then for a quick pat on his head before storming off to chase some more pigeons. Felicity kept studying Oliver, as discreetly as she could, while trying to figure out things about him she didn’t feel comfortable asking yet.  
He didn’t look much older than her, probably 28 or 29 and under his layers of clothing she could see that he somehow managed to keep a little muscle on himself, even though it was clearly visible on his face that he lacked a few pounds. It made her wonder how long he must be living on the street and how he ended up there, not that she’d ask him that. At least not now. That was something to ask at a later date.

An incoming text message pulled her out of her thoughts and made her realize that she was actually running late again, not that she bothered too much about that. Ray Palmer, her boss, was fully capable of running the company without her manning the desk in front of his office. But still she had to leave soon for an important meeting that still needed some preparation.  
“I need to leave,” she reluctantly told Oliver with a small frown and for a moment, he looked equally frustrated as her, even though he quickly masked it again. It gave her an idea.  
“What do you do around noon tomorrow?”

Oliver looked surprised by her question, even at a loss for words for a moment.  
“Don’t know yet,” he shrugged. “Depends on the spot I can secure for the day.”

That dampened Felicity’s enthusiasm a bit. She had hoped to meet up at a regular spot with him, but at his words she remembered the old man sitting on the spot Oliver had occupied the day he helped her. Of course he didn’t have a regular spot to sit.  
“Would you meet me for lunch here? I’ll bring the food as long as you bring Lucky.” she grinned at him.

He had no idea what to make of her offer and he really had didn’t know why she seemed so interested to spend time with him, no matter how alluring her offer of lunch sounded.  
“Look,” he began and as soon as he saw her face fall slightly, he regretted speaking up already. “thank you for the coffee and the muffin. I really appreciate that. But you don’t have to bring me any more food or spend time with me to thank me. Really, it was no big deal.”

“Oh. Okay.”  
With a frown, she grabbed her purse, threw her muffin wrapper into the trash and got up from the bench. As soon as Lucky saw the movement, the dog stormed over to them and excitedly waggled his tail, eager to play with Felicity.  
“I have to leave, little man,” she spoke softly and scratched the dog’s ears. “Take good care of your owner, will you?”

She took an awkward step back from Oliver.  
“It was nice meeting you, Oliver. Maybe I’ll see you around somewhere.”

He nodded politely, unsure what to say to her.  
“Thank you again… for the coffee and muffin.”

With another small smile, she turned and walked off, leaving Oliver and his dog alone at the bench. He watched her go, feeling bad for brushing her off like that. But there was no point for him to accept any more treats from her as a thanks. The coffee and nice morning she had given him was already payment enough for something he would do all over again, even if she wouldn't have thanked him at all.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays everyone! :)  
> Here's another chapter for you!
> 
> And thank you for the overwhelming response to my first chapter. I truly didn't expect that! This story had started out as a silly idea, but I'm thoroughly enjoying it so far! :)

No matter what she did, Felicity couldn’t seem to get her mood up after the disappointed ending of her morning with Oliver. Part of her had hoped to meet him for lunch the next day, giving them a lot more time to talk and her the chance to bring him something to eat, this time more than just a small muffin. But then he diminished her plans by telling her off like that.  
She had no idea if it was the way she had asked him, or if he simply wasn’t interested to spend another hour with her. Either way, it made her frown.  
After running into him and actually getting to agree to having coffee with her, she found that she really liked talking to Oliver, even despite their vast differences and his clear discomfort at being seen publicly with her.

 

The next morning, she didn’t see him in what she started to call his ‘usual’ spot at the subway station. She also didn’t see him anywhere else on her way to work and couldn’t help the small frown that replaced the somewhat happy mood that she’d started her day with. Even though Felicity barely knew the man, she couldn’t help the pull she felt towards him, the interest in getting to know him a little better. Maybe it was the way he’d helped her without batting an eye when everyone else ignored her, or it was the fact that he didn’t look at her like every other man in her life did - either with incredulity for being in the work position she was, or with pure lust simply for being a woman. Either way, she found it refreshing to spent the morning with Oliver, not being judged by him or looked down at. And part of her had hoped to see him again this morning, even though she didn’t have as much time as she did the day before.  
Not being able to find him on her way to work dampened her mood a little.

At 1pm her boss Ray left the office for the rest of the day, giving her the chance to head out for lunch as well. When she rounded the corner of their building, heading over to the pizza parlor for a big, greasy slice of pepperoni pizza, she spotted a familiar dog sitting in front of a door to a public restroom a few feet down the road. With a grin, she sprinted over to the pizza parlor, ordered 3 slices of pepperoni and salami pizza and made sure she didn’t lose sight of the dog on the crowded sidewalk. Armed with a bottle of water and the pizza box, she made her way over to the restroom when she spotted Oliver emerging from it, grabbing Lucky’s leash and making his way over to the park they had sat the day before.  
Felicity followed them with a little distance and smiled when Oliver picked the very same bench they had occupied the morning before. He seemed so busy with his dog and his backpack that he didn’t even notice her approaching.  
“Salami or pepperoni?”

At his almost shocked look she couldn’t help but grin down at him. Lucky immediately jumped up Felicity’s leg, wagging his tail excitedly.  
“Lucky, behave!” Oliver warned and pulled back the leash. “We don’t put our dirty paws on people’s clothes.”

The way he scolded his dog was too adorable to witness. With a small chuckle, Felicity sat down on the bench next to them and placed the large pizza box on her lap. Oliver still seemed completely stunned to see her sitting next to him, but when Felicity grabbed a slice of pepperoni pizza and almost threw it in his hand, he couldn’t help but accept her offered gift. Not that his stomach disagreed with her plans. After half of the muffin the morning before, he managed to find a leftover cereal bar in the afternoon, but that had been it for the day.  
His very first weeks on the road had been a hard learning process for him when it came to eating leftovers or food others didn't want any longer. But after 3 years on the road and many nights with an empty stomach he was way past the point of feeling embarrassed or too proud to do that. And with the local food bank already closed for the day, there was no way for him to find anything to eat. So this slice of pizza actually looked and smelled like heaven to him and for once, even Lucky wasn’t interested in chasing the pigeons around. The dog sat patiently by Oliver’s leg, his eyes fixed on the greasy good in his hands.

After a quick glance over to Felicity, who was happily munching away on her own slice of pizza, Oliver took a bite of his as well. He had to fight back the moan that threatened to bubble out as soon as his taste buds got in contact with the food. He couldn’t even remember the last time he had a fresh, hot slice of pizza. Especially one that good.

“Good?”

With his mouth full of pizza, Oliver could only nod at first.  
“This is the best food I’ve had in months.”

His statement came so silently and unexpected, Felicity stopped eating when she heard his words. The way his voice was wobbling she could only imagine how hard this confession to her was for him. It made her feel terrible for having unlimited access to food and water at all times whereas he probably fought over the little leftovers others threw away on a regular basis.  
“I take it Lucky and you are living on the road for a while now?” she carefully asked him between bites, hoping not to scare him off with being too nosy.

“A while.” he replied with a small nod, his eyes fixed on the pizza in his hands. He pulled off a piece of the crust, gently blew on it to cool it down and offered it to Lucky, who greedily accepted the bit of food. Felicity watched the entire scene and, without thinking about it, did the same with a piece of her own pizza. For a second the dog looked surprised about the other hand offering him something as well, but then he carefully took it from her fingers.  
“He’s much more careful with you.” Oliver pointed out and offered the dog another piece of his pizza. “See?” he smiled when Lucky took the bit from him with greedy, hurried teeth.

“That’s because he’s a gentleman.” Felicity replied with a grin and pulled off another bit of her pizza and offered it to him. “Maybe I should call you ‘Sir Lucky’?”  
By then the dog had figured out that he’d receive food from not one but two sources and strategically placed himself between the two.

When Felicity looked over and saw that Oliver had finished his slice already, she grabbed the box and placed it in his lap.  
“Go ahead. I’m stuffed, anyway.” she smiled when she saw him looking down at the carton with a disbelieving look. But instead of diving in, he slowly closed the lid and placed the carton on his backpack.  
“Saving for later?”

Oliver nodded, but kept his eyes on the dog. He really wanted to thank her for the amazing food, but for some reason his throat didn’t seem to cooperate. Something about this woman had his tongue in knots.  
When she dusted off her skirt and got up from the bench though, panic started to well up in him. Had he scared her off for being so uncommunicative?  
“Well, Oliver, Sir Lucky,” she addressed the dog politely, “it was a lovely lunch, but if I don’t get back to work in a bit my assistant will probably throw a fit.” she smiled with a slight eye roll. Oliver quickly got up from the bench and grabbed her wrist when she took a step away from him. He really had no idea why he did it, his body had simply reacted to seeing her leave.

“Thank you.” he told her and quickly dropped her hand, “For the pizza. And for sitting with me. I don’t know why you do it, but I want to say I’m very thankful. And so is Lucky.”

With a warm smile on her lips she studied the dog for a moment, then looked up at Oliver again. He seemed nervous, shifting from one foot to the other. He clearly wasn’t used to talking to people like that, or it was just her that freaked him out. Either way, she couldn’t help but adore him for it.  
“Same time tomorrow? I wanted to get thai or indian, anything you prefer?”

That completely rendered him speechless for a moment. He couldn’t fathom why she’d want to spend her lunch break with him, but wanting to do it again the next day? It was just way more than he was used to from any human being.  
“Wh - why do you do this? What do you want?” he asked her, uncertainty covering his face. For the entire time they had sat together, Oliver wondered why Felicity degraded herself like that by sitting with him, out in public even, for everyone to see. He could imagine that she probably had a hundred different, better people she could spend her lunch break with, and yet here she was, with him and Lucky on a dirty bench in a small park, probably staining her 500$ outfit. It all made no sense to him and frankly, it freaked him out a little.

If Felicity was offended by his question, she hid it well. It took her a second to reply but when she did, she once again stunned him.  
“Well maybe I like to spend time with a normal person every once in a while. A person that doesn’t look at me with disbelief, condescendence or envy. Just like a normal person.” she smiled with a little shrug. “But if you don’t want me to bother you any longer I -”

“No! Tomorrow is fine. I’ll be here with Lucky anyway.” he quickly cut her off. The smile that spread on her lips at his words took off the tension in his body a little.

“Alright, see you tomorrow then.” she smiled and took off, leaving a still slightly stunned Oliver behind.

 

Back at work it the smile on Felicity’s face was still apparent after her lunch break with Oliver. So much, that apparently even her assistant Katie noticed the change of mood.  
“You’re grinning. What happened? Met some hot guy on your way to the diner?” Katie grinned.

Her words made Felicity stop short at her assistant’s desk. “Don’t be silly.” she waved her off with a grin. Not that she had any interest to reveal anything about Oliver just yet. “But actually, I need to ask something... you have a dog, right?”  
Her assistant nodded, a surprised look on her face at the unusual question.  
“I need some chow stick or something like that. Where’s the nearest pet store to purchase one?”

“There’s a petsmart that opened a few weeks ago, just two blocks down Newton street. If it’s not urgent I could pick up something for you after work and bring it in tomorrow. It’s on my way home anyway.” she offered.

That was why Felicity liked and valued her assistant so much. Katie could be a major pain in the ass sometimes, but was damn helpful and a true asset to her most of the time.  
Thanking her, she made her way back to her office with a little extra swing in her step, eager to face the rest of the day.

 

Even an hour after she’d left, Oliver still sat on the bench at the park. Lucky had already gotten back to entertaining himself when he saw that his owner wasn’t making any move to get up, but Oliver was still too stunned and overwhelmed by the events an hour before to leave. Part of him wanted to spend the entire night on the bench just to make sure he wouldn’t miss her the next day and that the bench wouldn’t be occupied, but with the dark clouds forming up in the sky, there was no way he could get a good amount of sleep without being drenched. Besides, he had the sudden urge to clean up and maybe even wash some of his clothes.  
And then an idea formed in his head. A quick look on his old watch told him it was still enough time to make it to the shelter in the outskirts of the city; the one that also allowed dogs there. If he could make it there within an hour, there was still a chance to catch a room for the night.  
With newfound determination, he whistled out once, getting his dog’s attention in an instant. Lucky rushed over to him and waited until Oliver had the leash safely secured on his collar and the large backpack on his shoulders. With the pizza box in his hand, they made their way through the city. It’d be a long walk, but if it meant a warm and dry place for the night and a shower, the first in over a week, then he’d gladly walk the distance.

 

His stomach dropped slightly though when he rounded the corner of the shelter and saw the long line of homeless people hoping to catch a place for the night. He knew the place only had very limited space available, especially for people with dogs. And the closer he got to the entrance, the more he feared hearing they were full and couldn’t take any more people in. Luckily for him though, an argument between a few homeless people a few feet ahead of him in line granted him and Lucky a place for the night. When the shelter operators had the fighting people removed from the line, he immediately moved up a few places, granting him one of the last two rooms for the night.

The room was by no means large or luxurious, but it was warm, dry and had a bed and fresh blankets for him. Since he got one of the few single rooms for dog owners, he trusted Lucky with his backpack and made the trek to the showers. The shelters didn’t offer much, but small samples of toothpaste, shower gel and shampoo were always available, something Oliver was very thankful for. After a warm, refreshing shower he gathered the few clothes he owned and grabbed one of the quarters he’d collected that day to wash his stuff. While waiting for his clothes, he and Lucky enjoyed the leftover slice of pizza together and for the first time in a long time, Oliver felt something like contentment despite the situation he found himself in. That night he also slept better than he had in weeks, in a warm and somewhat comfy bed, with Lucky by his side and Felicity on his mind.

 

Waking with the first rays of sunshine, Oliver took more time than he could remember to get ready for the day. With the two hours he had left before he had to leave the shelter for the day, he took his time repacking his bag, dressing in the best looking clothes he had and even gave Lucky a wipe down so the dog would look and smell just as fresh. He would’ve loved to shave, or at least trim his beard a little, but with no razors being handed out by the shelter staff, there was no way for him to do that. But then again, Felicity didn’t seem to mind seeing him like that, and the facial hair also gave him some sort of anonymity out on the streets. No need to draw any attention or possibly have someone noticing him.  
After snagging an apple from a bowl in the hallway, he made his way through the city to their meeting spot, even though he still had more than 3 hours to spare. Even if he had to sit in the spot for two hours, if it meant securing the bench so she wouldn’t miss him, he’d gladly do that. Lucky also didn’t seem to mind and kept chasing around the squirrels on the greenery. With the sun coming out, fresh clothes on his skin and feeling more refreshed than he’d felt in weeks, he was ready to face the day - and wait for his beautiful lunch partner.

 

Felicity had been more excited for lunch than she’d been in weeks. More than once she checked her watch, hoping she could sneak out, too, as soon as Ray would leave for his lunch break. So much, that even her assistant noticed.  
“You’re a little on edge today.” Katie remarked with a quirked eyebrow when she spotted Felicity checking the time on her watch once again. “Anything to do with that weird errand I had to run this morning?” she asked and held up a little brown paper bag. Felicity’s face immediately lit up and she grabbed for the bag, peeking a look inside. Katie had bought two chew sticks and some other candy that Felicity couldn’t identify yet.  
“Thanks, I owe you one.”

“Sure you do,” Katie smirked. “How about an answer to who you’re so giddy about? I’ve rarely seen you like this and now I’m even running errands to the pet store for you though you don’t even own a goldfish! So spill it, who did you meet? Some successful businessman you don’t want anyone to know about?” she grinned excitedly.

Felicity couldn’t help but smile at the thought of Oliver. The fact that he couldn’t be farer from the man that Katie just described didn’t make her uncomfortable, even though she didn’t plan to tell her assitant anything about the man she’d met two days before. No, she was going to keep Oliver all to herself for a while longer, at least until she got to know him a little better.

After getting rid of her nosy assistant, Felicity couldn’t wait for her lunch break. When Ray popped his head into her office though, her excitement vanished within an instant.  
“Sorry it’s such a short notice, but I need you in the head office for a skype meeting with the executives of Star Labs in 15 minutes. You can take the rest of the day off as soon as we’re done though.” he smiled, looking at least a little apologetic, even though his words sounded anything but. With a frown on her face - Felicity knew all too well how long skype calls with Star Labs could take - she walked up to Katie’s desk.

“I need another favor,” Felicity began, making Katie look up in surprise. The pleading look on her boss’s face made her quirk a sceptical eyebrow.  
“Ray just called me in for a meeting. I need you to head over to the thai spot around the corner and get one of their wednesday specials with the chicken. Take the chow sticks with you. Then you need to walk over to the park and look for a young man with a little white dog with black spots. They’ll most likely sit on a bench in the far right corner. Hand him everything and let him know I couldn’t make it, will you? Also slip him this note, please?”

Katie looked down at the small piece of paper in Felicity’s hand. She was used to one of her boss’s rambles by now, but never before had she seen her boss like that. With what she had told her though, Katie’s interest was piqued.  
“Am I going to meet your Mr. Mysterious?” she grinned and waggled her eyebrows.

“He’s hardly my Mr. Mysterious,” Felicity sighed. “but yes, and please make sure to be very nice and polite to him. He’s a little... skittish around people he doesn’t know.”

Katie furrowed her brow at that, but said nothing about it. Felicity handed her a 20$ bill and the note for Oliver and then followed Ray into the large conference room.

 

Oliver almost had two hours to spare when he arrived at the park but with their ‘usual’ spot secured and Lucky enjoying himself on the greenery, he wasn’t thinking about that. Besides, it wasn’t that he actually had a tight schedule lately. With the odd jobs as a day laborer every now and then his schedule was neither filled nor was it predictable, but since the job market had dwindled down lately due to the upcoming winter, he couldn’t do much but take the day as it came. Sitting on a park bench in the middle of the day wasn’t what he usually did, especially since people tend to be more generous with handing out some change when they were returning from their lunch breaks. And that was often the only time of day he actually collected any change. But none of that bothered him that day. He had a lunch date with a beautiful blonde to look forward to.

Just after 12am, Oliver kept his eyes a little more alerted to the park entry. Technically, they didn’t have a time set for when they should meet, but since she walked up on him around 12 the day before, he hoped she’d show up around that time frame this time again.

 

But 12am quickly turned to 1pm without any sight of Felicity. First doubts started to cloud Oliver’s mind. Had he really misread her that much? From the way she’d acted the last two days he was sure that her words from the day before had been genuine. So was the look on her face. Or maybe he’d just lost his ability to read people like he could. Wouldn’t be his first time, either.

As the minutes ticked by, Oliver’s first doubts soon turned into disappointment. At Felicity, but mostly at himself. It had been years since he even barely let someone near him and with the latest disappointment only added to the pile, he was ready to get the hell out of the park and back to his daily routine again, not that he even had one. With a sharp whistle he caught Lucky’s attention. Just as the dog sprinted over the greenery towards him, a young brunette woman stopped right next to the bench he sat on.  
“Excuse me, is this your dog?”

Wondering if his dog had gotten him in trouble, Oliver nodded and grabbed Lucky’s collar and quickly put the leash back on. It wasn’t technically allowed to let dogs run freely in the park, but since everyone did it, he didn’t see any reason why his dog shouldn’t be allowed to, as well.

“Then you must be Oliver?”

This time, his eyes snapped up to the young woman. How in the world she knew his name, he had no idea and it momentarily rendered him speechless. Not that he was a man of many words at all nowadays.  
The woman gave a small, nervous smile, even though her eyes betrayed her. She was confused as hell, most probably because she expected someone else. Not that this look surprised him. After several years on the street he was well used to it.  
How that woman knew his name though, that still thoroughly confused him, even freaked him out a little.

This is for you.”  
Her words snapped him out of his thoughts. She took a tentative step forward and handed him a large brown paper bag with delicious smelling goods inside. He was about to ask what all this was about when the woman reached into one of her jacket pockets.  
“Oh, and this. Felicity wanted me to give you this, too.”

“Felicity?” he asked, a little too quickly, his eyes snapping back up to her face. “You know Felicity?”

“Yeah, she’s my boss. Well, technically, she’s my colleague, she just gets paid a little better.” the brunette woman laughed.

After a few moments of awkward silence between them, Katie cleared her throat and stepped back from him.  
“Well then... I need to get back to work. Have a nice day.” she smiled again, quickly turned on her heel and left the park without another glance back.

Oliver watched the woman for a moment before he turned his attention towards the paper bag in his lap. The little white note that the woman had handed him lay on top of it. He stared at his name scribbled in front of it, admiring her elegant handwriting before he flipped it open and read the text she’d written.

_‘Sorry I couldn’t make it today. BBQ burger tomorrow, 1pm at the park?_   
_xx, F’_

Despite the fact that he still sat alone on the bench, he couldn’t help the small smile that crept up his face at her words. His thumb slowly traced the ink on the small piece of paper a few times as if to memorize every swipe of her pen.  
Lucky’s impatient whine pulled him out of his thoughts. The dog greedily eyed the bag in Oliver’s lap, eager to get a taste of what’s hiding inside. Storing away the note that had suddenly become his most precious possession, he slowly unrolled the paper bag and peeked inside.  
After placing a styrofoam food container in his lap, he also pulled out another small paper bag. As soon as he saw the contents, the small smile from before returned.  
“Looks like you’ve made a friend.” he mumbled to his dog and pulled out one of the chow sticks out of the bag. Lucky sniffed on it once and then quickly took it out of Oliver’s hand, not even bothering to pay attention to his owner any longer.

With his dog happily munching away at his feet, Oliver also decided to have a look at the food Felicity had gotten him. He would’ve preferred to eat with her together, of course, but after the disappointment of her not showing up, the small note from her and the food she’d gotten him really lifted his mood again.  
Now he couldn’t wait for the next day so he could finally talk to her again. And that was what surprised him the most about himself. He’d never been the social type since ending up on the road. There were way too many things that could happen if he mingled with people like that, most of all being recognized or fooled and hurt by anyone. But then there was Felicity, who, for some very strange reason, managed to sneak around most of his defensive mechanisms.

 

When Felicity got out of the meeting more than 3 hours later, completely exhausted and with a huge headache forming, she almost groaned at the way her assistant came barreling towards her. Of course Katie would have questions after seeing Oliver today. The poor man himself probably got asked a ton of them. And normally Felicity really didn’t mind answering them - most of them, at least - but not today. Today she wanted nothing more than to hear that Oliver had gotten his delivery and then head back home, soak in her tub for an hour with a glass of wine and head to bed early. These skype calls were usually a major headache creator and this one hadn’t been any different.  
“I am not going to answer any questions, Katie, so don’t bother.” she groaned when the brunette woman caught up with her on the hallway towards her own office. “I have a major headache, I am cranky and I am hungry. Anything you want to ask, ask tomorrow.”  
Katie bit her lip, but couldn’t help the grin. She quickly handed Felicity a glass of water and some advil, knowing full well how much she’d need it after one of these meetings. Felicity sent her a thankful look and quickly downed the pill.

“One question?” Katie tried again with a small pout, the grin still prominently parked on her face.

“Alright. One.” Felicity sighed. “And then I’m going to get the hell out of here for today. The tub is calling my name. Loudly.”

“Alright... so I met Oliver today and I gave him the bag and the note.”  
Felicity looked relieved at that, some of the tension falling off her shoulders.  
“I don’t want to make any assumptions, I mean, maybe it’s just his styling, but... Fee, is he homeless? Are you dating a bum?”

Felicity’s back went ramrod straight at her assistant’s words. When she first asked her to deliver the food to Oliver, she knew Katie would have questions later. She also knew that she probably would be curious or maybe a little nervous about the friendship between Oliver and her, but hearing such a degrading word from someone she called a friend, especially laced with such disgust in her words, took Felicity completely aback. And frankly, it made her angry. Because for all she knew, Oliver could very well have millions on his bank account and plenty of apartments all over the country. For all she knew he could be the heir of a big company or maybe the last son of a foreign kingdom. She had no idea, at least not yet, but someone making the worst assumptions about him only based on the clothes he wore made her incredibly angry. It was exactly why she enjoyed spending time with Oliver. He didn’t judge her by what he saw, and even if he did, he hid it well. From day one she had done the same with him and she could see how much it seemed to confuse him to be treated like a normal human being. It broke her heart to see him so confused and uncertain about everything she did for him and she wanted nothing more than to take that confusion away from him and make her believe in her sincerity.

“Oliver is not a _bum_! He’s probably the most genuine and real person I’ve met in a long time.”  
Felicity snapped, making her assistant take a surprised step backwards. Maybe it was the headache, maybe it was the way Katie had spoken about Oliver. It was probably a combination of both, but she definitely didn’t want to hear anyone speak about Oliver like that again without even knowing him.  
After leveling her assistant with a hard stare, she grabbed her jacket, turned on her heel and marched towards the elevators.  
“I’ll be an hour late tomorrow morning. Please tell Ray to handle his schedule himself until I arrive.”  
And with that, she flew out of the office, ready to leave the day behind.

 

Part of her hoped to maybe spot Oliver and Lucky somewhere on her way over to the subway, but she couldn’t find him. And the headache really started to bother her, so she took the short route, hopped into the next subway and headed back home.  
A relaxing bath, two glasses of wine and a frozen meal later she found herself on her couch, wondering if Oliver had liked what she - or rather, Katie, had gotten him. Part of her hoped she could’ve seen his face when he unwrapped the chow sticks for Lucky, or Lucky’s excited tail waggle when he was happy about something. But the bigger part of her wondered where he was right now and if he’d found a safe place to stay for the night, especially with the temperatures dropping more and more lately. Wanting him safe was her last thought before she drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next I'm going to post another chapter of The Blind Side!  
> Yes, you read that right! :D


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone! :)
> 
> I'm blown away by the kudos and comments I've received for this story so far, even though it only has 2 chapters.
> 
> I'm in the process of finishing **The Blind Side** right now, but since I already have 5 more chapters of this story lined up and ready to go, I thought I'd update this story now, as well.
> 
> Again, let me know what you think in the comments! :)

After sleeping in for the first time in weeks, Felicity took her time to get ready for work. She knew that Katie would’ve called if problems had occurred at Palmer Tech, so she wasn’t really in a hurry to get to work for once. The only thing that actually got her going was the fact that just in a few hours, she would be able to see Oliver again during her lunch break.

As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, Katie came rushing towards her.  
“Good morning!” she called, sounding a lot more eager than Felicity could stomach right now. But the coffee that her assistant handed her was something she gladly accepted. No one seemed to master the coffee maker as good as Katie did.  
“I wanted to apologize,” she quickly added and Felicity actually stopped sipping her coffee at that. Katie never apologized for being nosy, but maybe the harsh words the night before had left an effect on her normally so quirky assistant.  
“I didn’t mean to sound rude... about Oliver, I mean. I was a little confused at first, but that didn’t give me the right to jump to conclusions like I did.”

Felicity studied her friend for a moment.  
“Apology accepted.” she smiled. “But that still doesn’t mean that I’m going to answer any more questions about Oliver.” she winked and headed for her office, leaving a pouting Katie behind.

 

Shortly before 1pm, Felicity made her way over to one of the food trucks in front of the building. She couldn’t wait to get her hands on one of their delicious peanut butter bacon burgers. It was like her monthly habit to treat herself one of these greasy goods and the fact that she could share one with Oliver only made her all the more excited, even though she opted for a bacon burger for him. Peanut butter on a burger wasn’t really everyone’s cup of tea and the last thing she wanted was getting him something he didn’t like.  
Armed with burgers and two bottles of water she made her way to the park. The first thing she saw was Lucky running around on the greenery, completely engaged with some other dog. Oliver had his eyes trained on him, giving her the chance to check him out for the first time without him noticing it.  
From the distance he looked a lot older than he actually seemed to be, but that was probably only caused by his clothes and the hood that he usually kept pulled over his head. It was kind of a shame that he hid his baby blue eyes from the world like that.

As soon as he spotted her, he sat a little straighter on the bench, his eyes never leaving her until she stopped right beside him.  
“Hey,” she smiled and plopped down next to him. The way he seemed so confused once again by her casual behavior amused her a little. It made her wonder how long it’d take her to make him warm up to her.

“Hello.” he replied almost shyly.

Without another word, Felicity stacked the two burger boxes in her lap and smiled at him.  
“Alright,” she began and lifted both boxes up in the air. “Bacon BBQ or peanut butter bacon?”

Oliver seemed a little surprised for a moment but quickly looked over to the two boxes, seemingly contemplating his decision when she spoke again.  
“Just so you know, normally I wouldn’t do this because the peanut butter bacon burger is my all time favorite that I’m obsessed with... but if you want it, it’s yours. And now choose, before I change my mind.” she laughed.

Without another word, Oliver grabbed the container that said BBQ. He was already beyond grateful that she was spending time with him and even brought some food for him every time. No way in hell would he take away her favourite burger.  
“And this,” she pulled out another small container, “is for Lucky. I asked the chef to make me a doggie pack. I hope that’s alright?”  
Opening the lid, she revealed some burger meat, cut into small pieces. Knowing that Felicity had not only bought food for him but thought of Lucky as well sent a sliver of warmth through his heart.  
“He’ll love it. Thank you, for everything. For the food and... and for sitting here, talking with me. I don’t understand it, but I appreciate it. Very much.”

That was the most he’d ever spoken to her and it completely surprised Felicity. She also realized how much she liked hearing the warm timbre of his voice.

“I’ve told you already... you don’t have to thank me. I enjoy spending time with you.”

And with that, she took a big bite of her burger, effectively ending the conversation they were having.  
All 3 ate in almost silence together, only the scraping of Lucky’s food container on the ground breaking the silence between them. Even though Oliver still looked somewhat stiff, he already seemed a lot more relaxed sitting next to her than he did just a few days ago.

“I’m sorry I had to skip yesterday... my boss called in for a last minute meeting.” she told him between bites.

“That’s okay,” he replied after swallowing the bite of his burger. “thank you for the food, though. Lucky and I enjoyed it very much.”

She nodded slightly with a small smile. Her next question was a little more specific and it made her nervous how he would react. Up until that point they hadn’t really talked about anything in Oliver’s life and Felicity could feel that he wasn’t keen on sharing details.  
“I hope Lucky and you have a warm and safe place to stay for the night,” she began, carefully choosing her words so she wouldn’t scare him off with being too nosy. “I’m sure Starling City can be a scary place at night, especially in less crowded parts of the city.”

Oliver stopped eating and sent her a quick glance. He looked a little uncomfortable and for a moment, Felicity regretted asking, but then he spoke again.  
“We have a place in the Glades.”

The Glades. She knew that part of town well, not that she’d set foot there lately. The area had been overrun with crime and poverty in the last decade, after most of the big companies shut down there, leaving many people jobless and many buildings empty.  
“That’s pretty far away from here. You walk that every day?”

“Not every day. Just when it tends to get really cold or wet at night, or when it’s raining. Sometimes I can get a place at the shelter over in the North District but they only accept 2 or 3 dogs each night, so we’re not always lucky.” By then, both had begun eating again and the more Oliver spoke, the more Felicity could see his shoulders relax slightly. He was still very tense, looking nervous as hell about revealing things about himself but Felicity counted it as a little victory that he was talking to her at all.

“I’m sure Lucky doesn’t mind the long walks.” she smiled and looked down at the dog who was already finished with his food and kept pushing the empty container over the ground in hopes to find any remains hidden somewhere. It was kind of cute to watch.

“Me neither.” he replied softly, wiped his fingers on a napkin and closed the lid of his empty food container. “It’s not that I have much to do during the day, anyway.”  
Felicity was about to ask him about his day when Oliver continued speaking.  
“Thank you for the burger. That was probably the most amazing food I’ve eaten in a long while. I know I’ve said that two days ago already, but it’s true.” he smiled softly at his own words, something Felicity wanted to see way more often on his handsome face, even with all the thick scruff hiding most of it.

 

She had so many questions about him. She wanted to know so many things. But with every question that popped into her head, she feared she’d get too personal and he’d pick up his stuff and leave. And that was the last thing she wanted.  
“How old is Lucky?”

Oliver seemed a little surprised by that question, but quickly turned his attention towards the dog who was resting his full belly at their feet in the sun.  
“I don’t really know. A vet once told me he must be around 3 years old.”

“And you?”

That made him look up at her again. His blue eyes bore into hers for a short moment before he quickly averted them again, seemingly contemplating whether to tell her or not.  
“I’m 29.” he replied with a voice so low, she sure would’ve missed it hadn’t she paid close attention to him.

“I’m 25.” she said and leaned back into the bench, her eyes closed, letting the sun warm her face. She could feel Oliver’s stare, could feel how her apparent ending of the conversation confused him. But she wasn’t about to bug him any more than that. Not for the day, at least.

 

They sat in a relaxed silence for a while, not even Lucky bothering to get up and run around like he usually did.  
“Don’t you have to get back to work?” Oliver’s words pulled her out of her relaxation. For a second she wondered if he’d had enough of her and just wanted her gone. But then she saw the way he looked at her with worry in his eyes, as if he feared he’d held her up from getting back to work.

“I have the afternoon off.” she smiled and relaxed back into the bench. “And after the disaster that was the conference yesterday I thoroughly deserve that.”

Oliver didn’t reply to that, but kept his eyes on her. The way she looked so relaxed next to him, her eyes closed, a small smile tugging on her lips while she’d let the sun warm her skin, it completely confused him. He could imagine there were a hundred places she could rather be than sitting next to him as if she didn’t have any care in the world.  
“So what do you usually do in the afternoon, Oliver?”

“Not much,” he shrugged. “If the weather is shitty, we usually spend most of the time inside, or at least try to. But when it’s sunny, I like to go out so Lucky can run around. And sometimes I’m working, but not so often, lately.”

At that, Felicity opened her eyes and looked at him. The blue in her eyes kept glistening in the sunshine. So much, that Oliver couldn’t look away for a moment.  
“What do you work as?”

“Whatever gets offered, really.” he replied with a small shrug and looked away again. “You can’t be picky with the few jobs you can get as a day laborer. Usually I’m working in construction. It’s the only job where they allow me to take Lucky.”

She couldn’t imagine how hard it must be for Oliver to find work to earn some money in his position. With the sparse job market for day laborers he couldn’t even take any job offered because he had to take care of his dog.  
“So you two do everything together?” she smiled.

“Everything.” he nodded firmly.

“Then let’s have a walk together. As relaxing as it is sitting here in the sun, but my backside is planted on a desk chair every day from 9 to 5, I could really do with a change of pace on my afternoon off.” she grinned, got up from the bench and straightened out her skirt. Oliver looked at her feet and for a moment he wondered how she could walk around more than a few feet in her high heels, but since she was the one who’d made the suggestion, he wasn’t going to argue. If it meant spending a little more time with her, he’d gladly walk through the streets of Starling City for hours.

 

They didn’t talk much while they walked and since Felicity was the one who’d brought up the idea, he let her lead the way, too. No matter where they might end up, he would always find a place to sleep for the night. More than 3 years on the street had made him come around in almost every part of the city.  
When they ended up in a calmer part of the city though, he furrowed his brows. Had she gotten lost while she walked and talked about this and that? It was only a few blocks from the center of the city, but he still wondered how they’d ended up in that road full of brick row houses, so stark different from where he usually spent his days and nights.  
Just when Oliver was about to ask where they were heading, she stopped and pulled some keys out of her bag.  
“Could you give me two minutes? I’ll change into something more comfortable real quick. My feet are killing me already and these heels were definitely not made for marathon walking.” she groaned and rolled her ankle. Oliver couldn’t help but nod and watch her sprint up a flight of stairs before she disappeared through a dark wooden door into the building.

So this was where she lived? Hm, he’d thought her more of an upscale apartment kind of girl, not that he’d minded. The brick house looked a lot more inviting than some poshy apartment downtown; the entire road did, actually.  
Lucky sat patiently by his side while Oliver took in his surroundings. Just when he was about to get the heavy backpack off to give his shoulders a few minutes of rest, the front door to her apartment opened and a jeans-clad Felicity emerged. She’d changed her high heels for a much more comfy looking pair of sneakers, her hair wrapped in a pony tail. When she stopped right in front of him, he realized for the first time how short she actually was without her heels on. He found it incredibly cute, for some reason.  
She carried what looked to be a folded blanket, safely tucked under her arm. It instantly made him wonder what she was up to with that.

“Alright, so I had this idea,” she began, her eyes glinting with excitement while she spoke. “and I hope it’s okay for you because if it’s not we could totally do something else, …”  
She stopped herself at questioning look Oliver sent her.  
“I’m sorry, I tend to ramble. What I meant to say is that there’s this open air music festival at Stanley Park, and since the weather is nice I thought we could maybe head there and just sit and listen to music? If you like Indie Rock and Jazz, that is.” she grinned excitedly.

At her adorable ramble and the way she practically jumped from foot to foot while she pitched her idea to him, he couldn’t help but smile at her. A warm, heartfelt, genuine smile, something he hadn’t done in a long while.  
“The music festival sounds great.”

She grinned and nodded once, tucked her bag and blanket a little safer under her arm and turned towards the direction of the park. Lucky and Oliver both fell in step with her.  
“This is a nice neighborhood.”

“Oh yeah, I was lucky to get that place. But what sold me on it is the amazing backyard. Perfect place to spend a relaxed evening with a glass of wine."

Okay, THAT he could imagine well for her. For some reason, she didn’t seem like the party girl-type to him, or like someone who went out for a drink regularly. From the little he’d gotten to know about her - or, more accurately, observed about her - she very much seemed like the relaxing glass of wine on the couch - type of woman.

“Well, that and the fact that there’s a bodyguard living in the apartment next to mine.” she grinned. Oliver had no idea what to make of that statement, so he decided so say nothing.

 

They arrived at the park a few minutes later and Oliver silently followed her until she stopped at a little secluded place under a tree where they’d still be able to see the stage, but wouldn’t have to share the space with any other people. He was also thankful she’d chosen this spot since people sometimes got a little nervous when they saw a dog nearby, not that Lucky had ever harmed anyone.  
He got rid of the heavy backpack, helped her spread the blanket on the grass and sat down with her. For a moment, he felt thrown back in time a few years, as if his current living situation was non-existent and he was still very much the man he once used to be - a normal guy with a job and a life, a woman by his side and some free time to spend at the park listening to music. Now, all that seemed so far away. So when he sat down next to Felicity, the weight of his life that was his backpack lifted off his shoulders for a while, he actually felt like he could breathe again, as if everything that went to shit for him in the last 4 years simply didn’t matter.

“Everything alright?” Felicity’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts. “You seemed a little frozen there for a moment. If you don’t like the music, we could leave.” she spoke and was about to get up from the blanket again when Oliver grabbed her wrist and stopped her.

“No, it’s alright. Sorry, I just got stuck in my head for a moment.”

“Oh I know that,” she replied with a knock on her head. “Happens to me all the time.”

Just moments later, the first band started playing. More and more people gathered around the park, but with their little secluded corner, they were keeping to themselves mostly.  
Felicity got herself more comfortable on the blanket next to him, something Oliver couldn’t get himself to do yet. It all still seemed a little too confusing for him, sitting in this park, on a blanket next to that beautiful woman while his only belongings were sitting just a few feet away from him in a backpack that was leaning against a tree. But he also couldn’t deny that he enjoyed it.

“Tell me anything about yourself.” Felicity spoke up, her eyes fixed on him. It still confused him that she didn’t bother how he looked, or that his clothes were worn and ripped, or that his beard and hair was way too long, even for his own liking. The way she looked at him, curious and genuinely interested to get to know him, made him open up more than he’d ever done with a stranger.

“There isn’t much to tell,” he shrugged and averted her gaze. In truth there was plenty to tell about him, enough to fill pages upon pages of magazines, actually. But none of that was in his current life any longer, and he made damn sure it stayed that way.  
“Most of it you know already.”

Felicity studied him for a long while after that, always a small smile on her lips, even though her eyes were staring at him with an intensity that made him nervous.  
“I doubt that. I doubt that you’re such a shallow person, Oliver. But I’m not going to pry.” she smiled.  
“Cookie?”

At that, even Lucky peeked his head up. Not giving Oliver the chance to answer, she pulled a box out of her handbag. How women managed to stuff so many things in their bags, he certainly had no idea.  
“My neighbor makes them. God bless that woman and her baking abilities.” Felicity moaned and stuffed one of the chocolate chip cookies in her mouth, offering the box to Oliver. “Another reason why I love that apartment. From day one, Mrs.Shoemaker had been stuffing me with cake and cookies every sunday. That woman makes it really hard for me to keep my size.” she laughed and wiped some crumbles off her jeans. Lucky immediately shot forward and hoovered the crumbs off the blanket.

“Here, buddy.” Oliver mumbled with a low voice and broke off half of his cookie. The dog greedily took it and made the most adorable chewing sounds.

“You don’t have to share with him, Oliver. Give him one and eat one yourself. I’m not going to eat them all, anyway.”

She soon turned her attention towards the stage again, but could see in her peripheral vision that Oliver only took one more cookie for himself. She wanted to yell at him to eat them all, but of course she didn’t.

 

When he got up from the blanket 10 minutes later, her head snapped around in surprise. Was he going to leave?  
“I’m just taking Lucky over to the pond, so he can drink some water. Park officials get a little sensitive when you let dogs drink out of the fountain.” he explained when he saw her confused look.

Well, that made sense. But since she knew that the pond was a good 10 minute walk from their spot, she also got up from the blanket, ready to strike camp.  
“Oh, no no it’s alright. You can stay here and listen to the music. Otherwise you might lose the nice spot.”

Felicity frowned slightly at his words, but sat back down. Once he had Lucky leashed up again, he grabbed his backpack. From the way he heaved it onto his shoulders, she could only imagine how heavy the thing must be.  
“Oh just leave that here. I promise I’ll watch over it for you.”

Oliver stopped his movements and looked at her for a second, clearly contemplating her offer. When he pushed the strap over his shoulder though, she knew he’d decided not to trust her with his belongings.  
“I really don’t want to bother.” he mumbled and took a step away from their secluded spot and for some reason, it suddenly didn’t feel like just taking the dog for a short walk to her. It felt as if he was about to leave her there, and she was pretty sure that, even if she tried, she wouldn’t have any chance to find him again if he disappeared on her now.

“Will you come back?” she quickly asked, sounding way more desperate than she wanted to, but she couldn’t help it.

The way Oliver hesitated answering she knew that her concerns were valid. He wanted to run on her. Why, she really had no idea. But after the nice day they’d spent so far, she didn’t want him to just up and leave. Not on her only day off, and certainly not on the most relaxing day she’d had in weeks, months, probably.  
In the end, he only nodded once and started walking away with quick steps. Felicity couldn’t help but look at his retreating form, the music festival long forgotten. The way his shoulders were hunched, his head hanging low, even his hood pulled safely over his head, made her wonder why he suddenly felt the urge to flee. They hadn’t talked much, and she had tried not to pry. And with the cookie sharing and relaxed setting, she actually thought he’d loosen up a little. But now he seemed more closed off than the days she’d spent with him before.

 

Sitting there alone, the festival suddenly felt incredibly boring, saddening, actually. She had no desire to sit there alone to hear some music while all around her, couples and families were huddled together. But then again, Oliver had promised her to come back, so she couldn’t just up and leave.  
After waiting an excruciating 20 minutes, she was about to give up and head back home, when an excited Lucky came barreling towards her, his wet paws staining her jeans in the process.  
“Hey buddy,” she laughed when the dog tackled her onto the blanket and licked her entire face. “My ex boyfriend could learn a lot from you, little friend.” she chuckled and laughed, until she noticed Oliver standing in front of the blanket, fighting back a smile that crept up on his lips at the scene in front of him.  
“I didn’t think you’d come back.” she told him with a small smile after managing to fight off the dog from her lap.

_For some reason I can’t stay away from you._  
“I keep my promises.” he spoke and sat down in his spot on the blanket again.

  
Felicity noticed quite an amount of water drops in his beard and on his shirt, as well as on the sleeves of his hoodie. It instantly made her regret not having him offered one of the water bottles she’d brought with the cookies. She quickly handed it to him and for the split second their fingers touched on the bottle, she could hear him take a sharp intake of breath. Seems like she wasn’t the only one affected by him.

“Would you want to meet for lunch again tomorrow?”  
she asked after Oliver took the bottle and ended the moment between them when he pulled his hand away.

“Dunno,” he shrugged. When he saw her confused, almost hurt frown, he quickly explained what he meant. “I’m trying to find some work and you’ll never know if you’ll end up working that day unless you check out the meeting point and see if people come looking for day laborers. I don’t know whether I’m here or working somewhere.” he shrugged again.

His words made her once again realize how hard it must be for him to earn any money on the street. The fear of not being able to find a job and secure at least some income for a few days made her gut sink. She couldn’t even imagine not going to work and not getting her paycheck by the end of the month.  
“Do you get paid properly, at least?”

He huffed a small laugh. “Depends on what you define as properly. You don’t really have the luxury to ask for minimum wage with these jobs, so I take what I can get. Lucky and I need it for the winter.”

She didn’t expect him to share so many details with that answer, but now that she had him engaged in a conversation, she wasn’t going to let him off the hook that easily, either.  
“So you save all the money you earn for what, winter clothes for you two?”

“A place to sleep. After my first winter on the street I knew I needed to find an alternative. You don’t really have much of a chance out here, unless you can find a place at the local shelters each night. And since only two places allow dogs, my options became a lot smaller when I got Lucky. So I need to be prepared.”  
  


Felicity couldn’t stop the torrent of thoughts that raced through her mind at his words, at the fact that whenever she snuggled onto her couch in front of the fireplace last winter and the years before, Oliver was probably somewhere out there, fighting for his life not to freeze to death. It made her feel terrible, for some strange reason.  
And suddenly, another thought crossed her mind.  
“Wait, so I have been the reason you didn’t earn any money the last two days?”  
She sat up straight on the blanket and looked him right in the eye. That was the last thing she wanted, knowing he already had a hard enough time to find work as it was.

Oliver looked totally surprised by her sudden concern.  
“It’s alright. There probably weren’t any jobs for me, anyway.” he replied with another small shrug. By now, Felicity had realized that Oliver apparently mastered a number of different shrugs for different meanings, but she’d still rather hear him speak.

“Alright,” she told him, determination clear in her voice. “then we’ll postpone the lunch date. Actually, what about I’ll go and check the park tomorrow at 1pm, and if you’re there, we’ll just have lunch together. How’s that sound? I really don’t want to be the reason you’d miss a potential job for another day.” she added, a small sliver of regret visible on her face.

Oliver had no idea what to say, so he only nodded, even though inside he was happy she wanted to meet with him again, even made plans to work around his unsure schedule for the day. It still confused him to have someone so caring around him, especially since that woman was still pretty much a stranger to him, but it also warmed his frozen heart a little.

 

When the sun fell, Oliver could see Felicity starting to shiver slightly. Goosebumps formed on her forearms and her hands were firmly closed sitting in her lap. She seemed to be a little frosty, but still didn’t make any move to leave. Oliver also didn’t get up, even though he needed to get on the road, soon, to be able to find another shelter spot for Lucky and him for the night. But right at that moment, he didn’t care about any of that.  
He wanted to wrap one of his sweaters around her, or even one of his blankets so she would warm up a little. But everything he owned was filthy and stained and definitely shouldn’t sit around her delicate, pretty shoulders.

As if on cue, she looked over at him and gave him a small smile.  
“Maybe we should get going soon. It’s getting chilly with the sun gone.” she sighed.

Without another glance, Oliver got up from the blanket and offered her a hand to help her up. Surprised at his reflexive move, he was about to drop his hand again when Felicity placed her manicured fingers in his and let him pull her up. Even though her fingers were ice cold, he could feel a heat spreading through his palm that he hadn’t felt for years. At several inches shorter than him, he stared down at her for a moment, their hands still intertwined. Up until that, they hadn’t been that close before, except for the hug she’d given him the day he found her phone in the subway. The heat radiating from her, coupled with the ocean blue eyes that stared up at him completely took his breath away for a second.

Felicity must have felt it, too, but when her fingertips moved slightly in his palm, Oliver dropped her hand and took a step back, the moment between them gone.  
“Thanks.” she replied with a soft voice, a smile tugging at her lips.

In silence they folded the blanket and made their way back home. Felicity didn’t expect him to take her home, but when he didn’t stop or say goodbye at the park entrance but silently kept walking beside her, Felicity was glad he didn’t want to get rid of her just yet.

Too soon they arrived at her apartment. Felicity turned towards Oliver and Lucky and crouched down in front of the dog.  
“Take good care of your owner, will ya, buddy?”  
The dog eagerly waggled his tail. Felicity ruffled his floppy ears once and got back on her feet.  
“Good luck getting a job tomorrow.” she smiled a little shyly. Why conversation between them was so awkward all of a sudden, she had no idea.  
“Take care of yourself, Oliver. I had a lovely afternoon. And thank you for bringing me home.”

Oliver nodded, looking equally shy suddenly, and watched her walk up the steps to her apartment. After another small smile, she disappeared though the heavy wooden door, leaving him alone on the sidewalk.

  
  
It was well past 7pm when he arrived back in the center of the city, and with the only two shelters he could go to already closed, Oliver needed to find a place for the night for Lucky and him soon. He had been serious when he told Felicity that he didn’t mind spending the last two days with her rather than looking for a job, but he’d also been serious about saving the money for a place to stay during the winter months that would come upon them soon. So trying to find a job for the next day was his top priority now, making the situation of finding a warm place for the night not any better. He couldn’t walk to his usual place. With at least an hour walk to and fro, he’d have to get back up way too early in the morning to make it to the city in time. And with the long workdays that usually lay ahead of him whenever he snagged one of these jobs, he couldn’t afford to fall asleep at some point. Especially not since he didn’t have any food left for the following day. If he’d have to work on an empty stomach all day, he’d at least have to try and do so well rested.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little shorter, but since it didn't fit in either the last or next chapter, I decided to post it as its own. :)
> 
> Again, thanks so much for all these amazing comments! It really warms my heart to see so many people as attached to this story as I am. :)

Much to Felicity’s disappointment, she didn’t see Oliver for lunch the next day, and not the two following days, either. Part of her was happy that he apparently managed to find multiple jobs in a row so he could save some money for the winter, but the bigger part of her was missing her lunch and conversation partner, even though Oliver wasn’t that much of a talker. She’d just grown to enjoy being around him for at least half an hour each day. So much, that even her assistant Katie could see the frown on her face and the lack of enthusiasm to leave the building during lunch, so much different to the way Felicity had behaved all the days before, where she couldn’t get out of the office fast enough.

 

It had been 5 days without any sight of Oliver and Felicity started to wonder whether he was fine or maybe avoided her, when she suddenly saw him sitting on their bench in the park. Every day on her lunch hour, she went out there to check out the place in hopes to see him and every day that passed with no sign of him, the worry in her only grew.

He wasn’t looking at her and didn’t notice her approaching, But as soon as she saw him, her feet carried her over, too relieved to see he was fine than wondering if she might appear a little overly-concerned.  
“Hey there,” she spoke softly and sat down next to him on the bench. His hooded head looked up a little but didn’t really acknowledge her. Lucky seemed equally apathetic, not running around the park or even coming up to her to greet her. He just lay in front of his owner’s feet and only waggled his tail twice when he saw Felicity sitting down on the bench.

It was just then that she had the time to fully take in Oliver’s appearance. His clothes were stained, dirty and looked like he’d worn them through several days. Some of his knuckles on his right hand were crusted with blood and he looked pale, scarily pale. At least the small amount of skin that she could see of him that wasn’t hidden away behind a hood and the beard. At second glance, she could also see that Lucky didn’t seem in the best shape either.  
“Oliver?” she tried again, this time her voice a lot softer. His head lifted a bit, but he didn’t look over at her. She hesitated for a second, but then slowly lifted her hand up to his face and turned his chin towards her. He didn’t meet her eyes, but what she saw already made her tear up.

His left eye was circled in a huge shiner, his nose looked broken and he had a large cut on his left cheekbone, covered in dried, crusted blood. At her gasp, he looked up at her for a second. His eyes were red-rimmed, as if he was either high on something, or had been awake for much too long. She suspected the latter.  
“What happened to you?”

He didn’t reply at first, only pulled his chin out of her grasp and looked away again.  
“Got mugged at night.” was the only explanation he gave her.

His voice sounded hoarse, just as bad as he looked.

“Alright, we’re leaving. Can you walk?”  
Without another glance, she got up from the bench and fumbled in her bag with one hand while the other grabbed for Lucky’s leash.  
“Katie, you need to cancel my afternoon appointments. I’m taking the day off.” she spoke into the phone just seconds later.

“Fee, Ray expects you for the conference call with Smith’s later. I can’t just tell him you’re taking the afternoon off!” her assistant replied a little disbelieving.

“Tell him it’s a family matter and that I need the rest of the day off. Lord knows I have way more unused vacation days than he could ever give me.” Felicity replied and turned her attention towards Oliver, who still sat frozen on the bench.  
“Family? Girl, the only family you have is your mother in Vegas. And you ladies aren’t exactly close, like you’ve told me several times.”

“You know that. Ray doesn’t. So please tell him that, and I’ll see you again tomorrow morning.”  
With that, Felicity ended the call and stuffed the phone back in her bag.  
“You’re coming with me.”

She looked and sounded so determined and confident, Oliver really had no chance to fight her, not that he had any strength or energy left to do so. The last few days had been heavy on him, and with the lack of food and sleep, his body was nearing total exhaustion. So he slowly got up, shouldered his backpack and followed her. Even if he would’ve wanted to run, which he didn’t, there was no way he would have left Lucky behind. And since she held the leash in her hands, he had no other chance but to follow her, wherever she might take him, even though he really hoped it wasn’t the hospital. He really didn’t want to draw any attention to himself, not that he could pay the treatment, anyway.

 

When they neared the subways he frowned but didn’t say anything. With slow, but confident steps, Felicity walked up to one of the ticket booths and bought a one way ticket. When they stepped down to the all too familiar platform, a subway was already rolling in. Oliver stopped for a moment and Felicity sensed his hesitation, turning around to face him while people passed them to get onto the train.  
“I’m not going to walk home in these heels and you look like you’re not about to make it there, either. So come on, or Lucky and I will be leaving without you.”

She kept her foot in the doorway to keep it open. After another second, Oliver stepped into the subway, the door instantly closing behind him. It was too crowded to find a place to sit, so Oliver leaned his exhausted body against a window, making sure to keep his face securely hidden behind his hood and his bloodied knuckles in the pocket of his sweater.

Lucky had stepped into the subway without protest, but as soon as the train started to move and people’s feet were shuffling around him, the dog began to shiver and pressed himself against Felicity and Oliver’s legs.  
Felicity bent down and picked the dog up in her arms, shielding him between her and Oliver. With the few pounds that the animal weighed, she could easily keep him in her arms for the 3 stops until they’d arrive. She saw Oliver keeping an eye on her and Lucky all the time, even though he seemed completely exhausted, having a hard time to even stay awake. She wondered what must have happened the last few days to leave him like that.

As soon as they’d left the subway station, Felicity sat the dog back on the ground and started the short walk back home, keeping a close eye on Oliver all the time. She was sure that if they had driven two more stops, he would’ve fallen asleep in the subway, standing up. It made her heart break for him.

 

When she took the steps up to her front door, keys already in hand, Lucky instantly followed her. It was Oliver who stopped at the foot of the steps, looking completely nervous and unsure and for a moment, she wasn’t sure if he would bail on her. His whole posture very much looked that way.  
“Come on in, Oliver. Lucky seems to be eager to get inside, too, and I know for a fact that my toes will freeze off if I don’t get out of these shoes in the next 30 seconds.” she smiled and opened the door to her apartment. Once she set the first step inside, Lucky followed her, leaving his owner alone on the sidewalk. Traitor.

He really didn’t want to impose on her like that. And he really didn’t want to cause her any trouble. That’s why he had stayed away from the park the day before and didn’t meet her. But after that day, he couldn’t deny that he missed talking to her, spending time with her, even if it was just for an hour or less.  
Now, he found himself in front of her house with the door open and his best friend already disappeared inside. That really wasn’t how he’d thought his day would go, but after the past 4 days of hell he was happy to still be up on his own two feet. So he slowly got up the stairs. If getting inside her apartment meant being able to warm up for however long possible, then he’d gladly take that chance.

 

He carefully closed the door behind him and stepped into the hallway of her apartment. The brick wall on one side, decorated with a few paintings, opened up into a warm looking living room with a large leather couch in the middle, right in front of a fireplace. He left his backpack in the hallway by the door, for the first time not bothering to keep it close to him. It wasn’t that he had much left that could be stolen, anyway.

Upon entering the living room he could see her rummaging around in the kitchen. Lucky was nowhere to be seen, but he spotted the leash on the dining table, along with her bag. When she turned around and saw him standing in the living room, a warm smile formed on her face.  
“Sit down,” she instructed with a motion to her dining table and rounded the kitchen island with a bowl of water, Lucky hot on her heels. As soon as she set it down, the dog began lapping up huge gulps, almost emptying the first bowl in one go. Felicity refilled it, and only when the dog stepped away from the bowl, she turned her attention towards Oliver again.  
Taking a seat opposite of him at the table, she took one of his hands in hers, carefully examining the bruised knuckles. Her soft touch sent a warmth through his cold hands that he had missed dearly over the last few days.

She looked up at his face again, her eyes filling with emotion. When she let go of his hand and moved her fingers up towards the hood of his sweatshirt he flinched back, unsure what she was up to. She stopped her hands for a second, only to slowly continue forward a second later. When he didn’t move, she grabbed the worn hood and gently, slowly pulled it over his head.  
She had him seen without his hood once, but now, in the harsh light of her dining room, the full extent of his condition became evident. The areas of his face that weren’t bruised purple were completely ashen, the cut on his cheekbone didn’t look deep but definitely untreated, the bridge of his nose purple and swollen and the shiner on his left eye had bloodied the white of his eye almost completely. If she hadn’t known him yet, she probably would’ve taken a step back from him had he looked at her. But now, she had a hard time holding back the emotions that welled up in her.  
When Oliver’s eyes met her, she could see utter exhaustion, pain but also still some wariness in them. For some reason though, she didn’t feel as if that wariness was directed towards her but more towards the fact that someone cared for him; that he had a hard time believing it.

She got up from the chair and left the room, leaving a stunned Oliver behind. Lucky didn’t look as nervous as his owner though, the dog kept walking around the living room and kitchen, sniffing here and there, inspecting every surface he could reach. Oliver only hoped the dog wouldn’t pee on anything. That was the last thing he wanted. And Lucky wasn’t actually familiar with such a place. He hadn’t peed in any of the shelters they’ve been so far, but he really didn’t want to take a chance. Just when he was about to call the dog to his feet, Felicity reappeared, holding a bowl of steaming water in hand, as well as some paper towels. She placed everything on the table between them.  
“Be right back.”  
With that, he watched her sprint out of the front door, leaving it open. Seconds later he heard a knock and some muffled sounds coming from the front door of the next apartment.

 

Thanks to her laziness, Felicity didn’t have any medical or first aid supplies at home. Thankfully, her neighbor could help her out with almost everything.  
“Hey John.” she smiled as soon as the large, bulky man opened the door. “Could I borrow your first aid kit? I promise to return it fully stocked.” she smiled a little shyly.  
John looked down at her for a long moment, taking in her bare feet but otherwise normal attire.  
“Are you okay? Is everything alright?”

“Yeah,” she waved him off. “I just have a friend over and he fell and busted his knuckles. I just wanted to disinfect the scratches.”

John’s look told her he probably wasn’t buying what she was telling him, or that he had his doubts and with him being a bodyguard she couldn’t blame him. The man had to question pretty much everything and everyone. And under normal circumstances, she would’ve explained everything to him right then and there. But the fact that John would have immediately walked over to check in on the guy, all under the false pretense of ‘being much better at first aid than her since he’d been in Afghanistan’, she needed to avoid such a situation at all costs. She was pretty sure Oliver would have bolted the second he’d seen the large man storming through her front door.  
After another scrutinizing look, he wordlessly went inside and retrieved the first aid kit.  
“Take it for as long as you need it. I’m in no hurry to get it back.” he told her with a soft voice, even though his eyes had a warning, almost fatherly look to them.   
She nodded and made her way back inside her apartment.

 

Oliver still sat in the same place she’d left him, only Lucky sat now close by his side. With steady movements, she opened the first aid kit and pulled out all the supplies she’d need.  
“Give me your hand.” she instructed after putting a towel on the table, holding out her palm for him to place his in it.  
He slowly lifted his left palm and Felicity didn’t waste any time starting to dab the dried blood with a warm washcloth. She didn’t speak a word while she cleaned up his hand and Oliver was too exhausted to watch her, even though he would’ve loved to. After she’d cleaned up his hand and disinfected the areas, she put a bandage on it, her small hands working quickly and efficiently. She did the same to his other hand and once both were properly cared for, she looked up at his face.  
“This might hurt a little more.” she smiled apologetically.

Oliver didn’t move when she dabbed the bruised cheekbone with the warm washcloth and he didn’t flinch when she put the antiseptic on, even though it stung like hell. She placed a few butterfly straps over the wound and leaned back in her chair, seemingly taking in her masterpiece.  
“Well it doesn’t look like a job done by a professional, but my mom always told me, as long as you can get the job done with the same result, you don’t have to care much for professionalism.” she grinned. She got up from the chair and took all the used supplies with her, throwing most of it in the trash on her way to the kitchen.  
“Are you hungry? I could swear that you’re hungry and since I kind of skipped lunch today, I really need to get some food inside of me.”

He was hungry as hell, not that he would admit that. Thankfully, she didn’t wait for an answer from him, pulled a box out of the freezer and threw two pizzas into her oven. When she returned back to the dining table, two coffee mugs in hand along with sugar and creamer, Oliver thankfully took the cup she offered him. His cold fingertips instantly began to warm on the hot mug. Felicity took a sip after spicing up her cup with a huge load of sugar and a little creamer, all the while keeping a close eye on Oliver. She seemed to sense his predicament as she suddenly got up, walked over to the fireplace and started piling up wood. With precise movements she had the fire lit within seconds, instantly putting the room into a warm, orange glow. Oliver couldn’t feel any of the warmth yet, but he was very thankful she had done it.

They drank their coffee in silence. Oliver could feel that she had a ton of questions on her tongue, and he was thankful that she was holding back for now. He was way too exhausted to form a coherent thought, let alone answer any question properly.

Just when they both finished their coffee, the oven dinged, signaling their pizzas were ready. She grabbed both mugs and walked over to the kitchen. Oliver watched her the entire time over the kitchen island while she cut the steaming pizzas in slices and carried them over to the dining table. After another quick trip to the fridge, she returned with two glasses and a canister of orange juice in her hands.

Oliver was so starved that he immediately dived into his first slice as soon as he saw her make a grab for hers as well. Lucky’s whine from beside him made him stop mid-chow. He’d never forgotten about his best friend before and it made him feel terrible. Of course the dog was just as hungry as him. He quickly pulled a large piece of his crust and gently blew on it to cool it down. Felicity immediately mirrored the motion, just like the second day they’d spent together almost two weeks ago. They both fed Lucky pieces of their pizzas, and only when the dog seemed somewhat satisfied, they both resumed eating.

Long before Felicity had finished half of her pizza, Oliver had completely polished off his own.  
“Want another slice? I’m stuffed, anyways.” she offered and pushed her plate over to him. He was about to decline, especially since she’d already given him a whole pizza, but the fact that he hadn’t eaten any solid food in almost 3 days overruled his politeness.  
He also emptied her plate but shared his last slice with Lucky, who seemed a lot more awake and refreshed now that he had been fed.

“Let’s sit on the couch for a while.” she said and motioned for him to have a seat in front of the fireplace while she took care of the dishes. Instead of heading over to the couch though, he grabbed the glasses and juice and followed her into the kitchen to help her clean up.

“So what happened?” she asked him after both had gotten comfortable on the couch. Well, more or less. Oliver sat stiffly in the far corner, clearly uncomfortable. But he also looked incredibly tired, and right now Felicity counted on that. If he fell asleep at some point, she’d put him in a more comfortable lying position so he could rest for a bit.

He fidgeted for a moment, seemingly contemplating what to say.  
“Got mugged when I fell asleep.”

“Someone mugged you while you were sleeping?” she asked with wide eyes.

He nodded once.

“But didn’t you say you had a somewhat safe place for the night?”

“Would’ve be too long a walk. I had found a job on tuesday and wednesday and only got back late in the evening. The spot is almost an hour walk from there and you can’t allow yourself to be late for a good job. So I had to crash somewhere else.” he shrugged with a frown.

“What did they steal?”

That took him a little longer to respond and Felicity could see how obviously hurt he was.  
“All of my money. Some clothes, too.”

“And you fought them.” she said, looking straight to his bandaged knuckles.

“Only until they pulled a knife and threatened Lucky,” Oliver replied and gently petted his dog’s head. “They can take everything away from me, but I won’t let anyone harm my best friend.”

He spoke the words so softly, so lost in thought, it broke her heart to see him like this.

“Can’t you press charges with the police?”

“Yeah no,” he laughed sarcastically. “That’s not really how it works on the street. Besides, I’d rather not get myself in any trouble.”

“So... what kind of jobs did you do?” she asked after a while, hoping to distract him a little and steer him back to the conversation again.

The look on his face showed her he appreciated the change of topic.  
“Nothing too fancy. On tuesday I worked at a construction site in the Glades, and on wednesday someone needed help getting a roof fixed over in Crescent City.”

“So you’re my go-to guy now in case I need something fixed in the house?” she grinned, earning even a small smile from him.

When she saw him rub his eyes, she got up from the couch.  
“Why don’t you lie down for a bit? I need to answer some emails anyway.” she suggested. Oliver was about to decline, as she expected, but the unfolded blanket that she’d held up, along with the comfortable couch and the fact that he barely could keep his eyes open made him give in.  
“I... I really don’t want to impose.” he tried one more time, but Felicity was having none of it.

“You don’t impose, I’m offering. Besides, you look like you can barely keep your head up. And Lucky seems exhausted, too.”

She gestured with her blanket again and Oliver finally gave in. He pulled off his boots, placed them right next to the coffee table and tucked his feet on the couch, letting Felicity tuck him in.  
“Thank you,” he murmured, already half asleep. “For everything you do. I don’t know why you do it, but I... thank you.”

 

After he fell asleep, she contemplated what to do. Lucky had gotten comfortable on her rug in front of the fireplace and looked equally fast asleep as his owner. She’d thought about washing his clothes, but didn’t want to snoop through his bag. In the end, she settled into her lovechair, laptop on her knees, and answered a few work emails.

The sun had already set when she went to the kitchen for a glass of water. Oliver hadn’t moved one inch, but the steady rise and fall of his chest under the blanket assured her that he was still fine and fast asleep.

After a quick trip over to John to return the first aid kit, Felicity was greeted by Lucky’s alerted eyes. The dog had his ears up and watched her every move the moment he heard her front door click shut. She waved him over and picked up his water bowl. Just at that moment, the dog shot up from his spot in front of the fireplace and trotted over to her, his tiny feet making the sweetest sound on her hardwood floor.  
With the refilled water bowl placed in front of him, she rummaged through the fridge to find anything she could feed him.  
“Do you like tuna, buddy?” she whispered. Lucky eagerly waggled his tail.  
Felicity filled another bowl with tuna, some salami and a few strips of bacon and put it next to the water bowl. The dog immediately dug in and practically inhaled everything within seconds.

With the dog fed and Oliver still passed out on her couch she decided to take a quick shower and get out of her work clothes. She dimmed the light in the living room on her way out and made sure not to make too much noise on her way upstairs by avoiding the creaky, old steps of her stairway.

 

Dressed in a set of comfy sweatpants and a sleep shirt, her hair still wrapped in a towel, she made her way back downstairs to check on her two guests again. It wasn’t really that late in the evening but after the exhausting day she couldn’t wait to head to bed soon. But first, she had to make sure Oliver and Lucky were well taken care of, too.

She had no idea if Lucky needed to relieve himself, but she didn’t want him to wake up at night with a full bladder and nowhere to go.  
“Come on, buddy.” she whispered and opened the door to her patio. The dog instantly got up and followed her out. After inspecting her backyard for a bit, he took care of business on one of her trees and trotted back inside, right in front of the fireplace again, even though only a faint glimmer remained.

Felicity was about to call it a night as well. She set a glass of water for Oliver on her table, for good measure, and pushed the blanket back over his shoulders when he suddenly jolted awake, shot up from the couch and had her throat in a tight grip so fast, she didn’t even have the chance to take a step back.  
“Oliver, please,” she choked when he pushed her back into the wall beside the fireplace with so much force the pictures on her wall rattled, “it’s me, Felicity.” Her nimble fingers pulled and scratched on the hand on her throat, but couldn’t get him off her.

As soon as her words registered in his mind, his eyes seemed to focus on her. He removed his hand from her throat so fast that she stumbled to the ground, breathing in large gulps of air. Her towel had fallen off in the process and Lucky kept barking at the sudden commotion in the room.  
Oliver took a step away from her, his face ashen, shaking bandaged hands balled to fists by his sides.  
“Oh my god, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t ... I’m sorry.” he mumbled so quickly, panicky, more to himself than to her. Her head was still spinning but with every deep breath, she was able to focus back on him.

Just when she got up from the ground, she saw him grabbing Lucky’s leash from the chair, collaring the dog up with two quick moves. She wasn’t even able to say anything, to stop him or assure him that she was fine before Oliver reached her front door. She got up and followed him on wobbly legs, but he was already halfway out the door.  
“I shouldn’t have done that. I shouldn’t have come here. I’m sorry, Felicity. I’m so sorry.”

“Oliver, it’s -” she began, but he was already gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, not the nicest way to end this chapter. But you won't have to wait another week for the next chapter, promised! :D  
> I'll try and get it posted over the weekend :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I had planned to post this last night, but then the Packers football game happened and man... I completely forgot. :D
> 
>  
> 
> Lots of stuff happening, with a lot more coming in the next chapter(s). Enjoy!  
> And as usual, THANK YOU for the overwhelming response and support that all of you are giving me with this story. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined this when I started writing this story. ♥

After a sleepless night, Felicity showed up to work the next morning in a grumpy mood. No amount of coffee could make up for the missed sleep, and no distractions could help her with the worry about Oliver.  
She had even thrown on her winter coat and sneakers and tried following him after he ran out on her, but no matter where she looked, he was nowhere to be found.

So after hiding the evidence of the night before under a turtleneck sweater, she poured herself a strong coffee, kissed an oblivious Mrs.Shoemaker on the cheek when her elderly neighbor handed her a box of cookies, and made her way over to work. She didn’t expect to see him anywhere on the subway station or, even though she hoped to. She also didn’t see him during lunch and thankfully, Katie agreed to have the chinese dinner that she’d bought for Oliver.

Her assistant was also the first one to ask her about her - rather unusual - pick of clothes for the day. Up until then, Felicity had never showed up to work so buttoned up - literally -, which she quickly explained with feeling like catching a cold. She certainly wasn’t going to show the purple and blue hand print bruises on her throat or even explain the not-so-funny story behind them and thankfully, Katie didn’t ask any more questions after that.

 

The following days didn’t really change that routine.

The first few days Felicity woke up with the hope of maybe spotting Oliver somewhere so she could clear up the air between them, but it seemed as if he had vanished into thin air. It also made it acutely clear for her that she knew basically nothing about him whereas he had been in her home already.

And with the fading bruises on her throat, resignation also kicked in. After a week, she stopped going to the park altogether and began to spend her lunch breaks with Katie or Ray again. What she couldn’t stop though were the worries that still nagged her every now and then. With his hasty departure and now constant avoidance he’d made it very clear that he didn’t want any more contact with her, but still some part of her worried if he’d maybe gotten into trouble again and couldn’t meet her because of that. So every few days she scanned the police reports and even animal shelters in the area, just to assure herself he was alright.

 

It had been almost two weeks since Felicity had last seen Oliver when she returned back home from a night out with Katie and a few colleagues. She hadn’t been in a party mood by any means, but her assistant had persuaded her to at least have one drink with some girls from work. And since she didn’t exactly have any plans for the night, she agreed.

Returning home lightly buzzed from the 3 glasses of wine, she shrugged off her raincoat and immediately lit up a fire to warm up the room. Temperatures had dropped significantly in the last few days, indicating snowfall pretty soon. Not that she minded - Felicity actually enjoyed the winter. But catching a cold over the weekend definitely wasn’t what she had in mind.

She’d just finished changing and put her tea kettle on the stove when she heard a faint noise coming from her backyard.

A quick glance to the clock on her microwave told her it was way too late for the Shoemakers to be up and about, and John had already told her he’d be out all night for a job. With a small shrug, she kept on making herself a cup of tea when another sound came from outside, this time a lot closer to her patio door in the living room. The partially frosted glass door gave her a level of privacy, even though her backyard was surrounded by a thick, high wall and the fact that almost all the neighbors with adjoining backyards had dogs that kept the area safe. Not once had she felt unsafe before but curiosity got the best of her, so she went to check out where the noise came from.  
A look out of the window revealed nothing but rain and darkness, but then she heard the sound again. And this time, it sounded like a faint moan.

Grabbing the keys from her table, she walked over to the patio door, unlocked it and slowly opened the door to peek her head outside. With the rain still coming down heavily, she couldn’t see anything at first. She flicked on the patio light and gasped in shock.

Oliver lay there on her patio steps, crouched together, shaking like a leaf, with an almost frantic Lucky whimpering and poking his owner.  
“Oh my god, Oliver!” she called, ran out into the rain and fell on her knees next to him. He didn’t even react.

From the soaked clothes and his thin blue lips, she could only imagine how much time he must have spent in the rain already. She was no expert, but since his fingers and lips were icy blue and his hands almost freezing off, she knew she needed to get him inside, and that quickly.

With all her energy, she half pulled, half dragged him inside and right in front of the fireplace, leaving a wet trail on her hardwood floor. Lucky never left Oliver’s side, even though he looked equally frozen and drowned.  
“We need to get you out of these clothes,” she mumbled, more to herself than to him, and ran out of the room.  
Loaded with a change of clothes, some towels and her thick winter bedding, she fell on her knees next to him and started peeling off the completely soaked clothes from his body. Layer upon layer of wet shirts and hoodies came off until nothing but a threadbare t-shirt covered his torso. When it came to his pants she hesitated for a moment but quickly relented and went to untie his boots. With them gone, she pulled off his cargo pants and a thin sweatpants, leaving him in nothing but his black boxer briefs.  
Oliver seemed more and more apathetic and unresponsive the more clothes she pulled from him. After wrapping him in the thick bedding, she tried to get his attention by lightly slapping his cheek.  
“Oliver, open your eyes! Can you hear me?”

His incoherent mumbling told her he was still somewhat awake but clearly not well.  
“My god, you’re burning up!” she called when she felt his hot and sweaty forehead.  
“Hey, listen to me,” she spoke while trying to pull him into a sitting position. “I need to get you on the couch, but you’re a big boy and you gotta help me out here, alright?”

After several missed attempts, she actually managed to pull him into a sitting position and drag him over to the couch. She heaved his torso onto the cushions, followed by his legs and the bedding. Lucky had gotten himself comfortable in front of the fireplace again, curled up like a ball.  
With Oliver situated as best as she could, she quickly sprinted over to the kitchen, filled a glass of water and put the water kettle on the stove.  
“Here, drink.” she softly lifted his head while placing the glass at his lips. He took only a few sips, but Felicity was glad that he was still responsive at all.  
“I’m going to make you a soup to get some heat back into your body. Just stay with me for another few minutes, alright?”

Oliver kept mumbling incoherent stuff while she gently stroked his forehead, wiping the wet strands of hair off his face. He looked so much older since she’d last seen him, as if he’d aged several years in the two weeks they had spent apart. She had no idea why he ended up on her doorstep or how he even managed to make it over the wall surrounding her backyard, with Lucky in tow, even - but she knew that she needed to help him.

She managed to feed him half a bowl of chicken broth and even got him to drink the whole glass of water before he completely passed out on her couch.

 

That night she barely closed an eye, never leaving Oliver’s side in the living room. Every two hours she wiped down his forehead with a sponge, and every time she managed to actually wake him up long enough, she got him to drink some water.  
Soon, the birds started chirping in her backyard and Felicity fell asleep in the lovechair, completely exhausted.

 

Saturday went by almost the same, only Lucky seemed a lot fresher than he had the day before. Felicity did a quick run to the nearest grocery store after letting the dog relieve himself in her backyard and bought all the essentials she’d need for the weekend.

John raised a questioning eyebrow when he saw her howling a bag of dog food into her apartment.  
“My friend is visiting again and has his dog with him. Can’t feed the poor guy Mrs.Shoemaker’s cookies all weekend.” she joked, hoping her usually so observant neighbor wouldn’t ask any more questions. She really wasn’t in the mood for an interrogation with the little sleep she’d gotten the night before and her very sick houseguest currently occupying her living room couch. Thankfully, John’s face spread out in a grin at her words and he went on his way.

Lucky was already waiting at the front door when she stepped inside. That made her take a relieved breath for a moment, because with the dog still there it meant Oliver hadn’t run on her again. He’d never leave his dog behind, no matter his condition.  
She found him on the couch, still fast asleep, and decided to get some food into the dog and then make Oliver and herself something to eat as well.  
Lucky was inhaling his breakfast when she heard a grumble coming from the couch. She raced over and saw Oliver trying to sit up.  
“Gotta pee.” he mumbled and tried to get up from the couch, failing miserably.

“Come on,” she urged, hooked one arm over her shoulders and helped him up. He didn’t really seem to take in his surroundings, or realize that he was only dressed in a t-shirt and boxers, but thankfully he seemed steady enough to take care of business himself. Felicity positioned herself right outside the guest bathroom door and guided him back to the couch once he stepped out again.

Deciding to take her chances, she motioned for him to sit upright, removed his old, threadbare t-shirt to put a fresh one on. As soon as the shirt came off his body, she took a sharp intake of breath. Oliver was by no means bulky, and she guessed he probably needed to gain a few pounds for his size, but she could clearly see that he was used to hard, physical labor. She could also see some faint bruises here and there on his chest and ribs, something she made a mental note to ask him about if she ever got the chance.  
After stopping herself from ogling her half conscious house guest any longer, she dressed him in one of her ex-boyfriend’s shirts and pushed him back on the couch.

She gave him another hour of rest before waking him up with a bowl of steaming hot tomato soup that she fed him in tiny spoonfuls.  
Her day dragged on like that, alternating between sponging his forehead and filling water into his body. A few times she passed out herself on the lovechair and whenever Lucky made himself known, she led the dog into her backyard to relieve himself. Not the most animal-friendly decision, but it was all she could do given her current situation.

 

By saturday night, Oliver’s fever finally seemed to break.  
He kept thrashing and turning on her couch, making her regret that she didn’t have the strength to put him upstairs into her guest room. The couch looked uncomfortably small with his large body on it. His entire body was covered in a sheen of sweat, plastering the hair to his forehead.  
The mumbling had started again at some point, but every time she took his temperature, it stayed at a steady 102°F.

After restlessly moving around for almost an hour, his temperature finally started dropping significantly. She let out a relieved breath when it fell under 100°F and Oliver stopped thrashing around. After another change of his shirt, something he didn’t even acknowledge her doing, he fell asleep.  
It was almost 11pm on saturday when Felicity finally fell asleep as well, completely exhausted and drained from the eventful last two days.

 

The first time she awoke on sunday, the sun was shining brightly and her neck was killing her. There was also some very wet nose poking her face. She opened her eyes and stared right into a furry face with floppy ears, tongue sticking out on the side. Lucky kept waggling his tail, making the floppy ears bounce back and forth slightly while he sat in her lap.  
Felicity was no morning person by any means, but the cute little dog that kept staring at her expectantly actually made her giggle. She ruffled his ears once and stretched her stiff back and neck.  
“Good morning, buddy. Guess you slept better than me, huh? Let’s check on your owner and then I’ll make us breakfast, how’s that sound?”

The dog barked once and Felicity’s eyes immediately went over to the couch to see if Oliver reacted. He was turned facing the back of her couch, the blanket resting low on his hips. He didn’t move aside from the steady rise and fall of his chest, so Felicity got up and padded over to the kitchen.  
Since coffee was out of the picture with the grinder making way too much noise, she settled on a glass of orange juice. Lucky also got a fresh bowl of water and a handful of dog food.

After a quick bathroom stop and a change of clothes, she got herself comfortable on the lovechair again and tried to massage and roll out the kinks in her neck. Her monday was going to be a bitch if she didn’t get some proper sleep at least one night this weekend. When she opened her eyes, she looked right into the steely blues of her couch guest.

Surprised to see him awake she stared at him for a moment.  
How long had he watched her massaging her neck? The thought made her slightly nervous, especially since she wasn’t exactly dressed to impress with her messy hair, her makeup free face and the raccoon eyes that she was most definitely sporting after two nights of restless sleep.  
“Good morning.” she smiled. “How are you feeling?”

“A little confused.” he replied with a raspy voice, the timbre in his tone making her skin tingle.

“Oh trust me,” she laughed. “So am I.”

He looked around the room, noticed Lucky sitting in front of her patio door, his gaze focused on a little squirrel running around in her garden.  
“Hungry? I wanted to make breakfast but since my coffee maker can wake the dead, I decided to wait until you were awake.” she grinned and got up from the chair. He noticed the way she rolled her neck and shoulders and wondered if she’d actually slept in that chair all night - and how in the world he ended up on her couch.  
And then another thing crossed his mind... with his clothes sitting neatly folded in a laundry basket next to his backpack, he realized that the t-shirt he was wearing definitely wasn’t one from his small assortment of clothes. It was a little tight around the arms, but definitely way too large to be from Felicity. Which raised another thought... he’d never asked her about a boyfriend before, or maybe even a fiancé. The fact that she’d spent her lunch times with him and one afternoon in the park definitely didn’t tell him she didn’t have a significant other in her life. And he couldn’t imagine someone like Felicity not having a man in her life. A few years ago she would’ve been exactly the type of woman he’d been looking for.

A quick look around her living room didn’t show any pictures of a happy couple though and from his first visit here he didn’t remember seeing any male shoes or clothing on the rack in her hallway, either.  
Before he could think any further, Felicity returned with a steaming hot mug of coffee in hand. Oliver thanked her for it and took a sip.

“So... how do you feel?”

“Okay, I guess. How long was I out?”

There it was again, the raspy, sleep ridden voice that made Felicity take a sharp breath as soon as she heard it. It was just another fact to add on the list of amazing things about her mysterious Oliver.  
“Two days. I found you on my porch step when I came home on friday night.” she replied and nodded her head towards the patio door once.

Oliver couldn’t remember one bit about that, or how he’d even remembered her address. It was probably sheer luck he’d ended up in the right backyard.

“Who is Laurel?” she suddenly asked.  
It was that exact sentence that made the blood in his veins freeze in shock. The mug in his hand stopped mid-movement and his eyes shot over to hers. Almost as if she could sense his shock, she explained her question.  
“You said her name twice when you were fevering on friday night. Well, actually you were calling me Laurel and told me to get the fuck away from you.” she smiled softly. “But I figured since you were almost dying on my porch step and Laurel isn’t my name I didn’t have to listen.” she grinned.

For a long time, Oliver didn’t say anything. Felicity could see his brain working on high speed, his eyes never leaving hers.  
“She was someone I once knew.”  
The curt reply came when Felicity was sure he wouldn’t answer that question at all.

“Not someone you’re close to any longer, I take it?”

“No.” he almost growled. It was the most feral voice she’d ever heard from him and it gave her a small idea of how much Oliver must dislike that Laurel-person. She also made a mental note not to bring that name up again.

 

To distract him a little, she cut some fruit and also put the cookie box on the coffee table. Oliver took one after she did and, much to his surprise, Lucky didn’t even move a muscle towards him when he offered the dog a piece of it.  
“Oh, he already had breakfast.” she laughed at Oliver’s surprised look.

When an awkward silence fell between them after that, Felicity decided to just leave him be for a moment. She could imagine he wasn’t very comfortable waking up half naked on her couch, with Lucky behaving as if he never belonged anywhere else but in front of her patio door, and her sitting opposite of him so casually dressed in sleep shorts. Besides, she badly needed a hot shower.  
“Well... I’m gonna take a shower real quick. There’s coffee and orange juice is in the fridge. Help yourself.”

 

Not for a moment she worried about leaving Oliver alone in her living room, though the thought of locking the bathroom door behind her crossed her once. It was still too unusual for her to have someone in the house.  
In the end, she just closed both her bedroom and bathroom doors. If he would’ve wanted to mug her, he could’ve easily done so multiple times already. Besides, he didn’t strike her as a violent person. Quite the opposite, actually.

She took her time under the hot spray, letting the water loosen her stiff muscles for a bit. The thought of offering Oliver a shower as well crossed her mind, and since he seemed a little more relaxed in her apartment than he’d been the first time he was there, she made a mental note to offer it to him as soon as she got out. She could only imagine how sticky and sweaty he must feel after that fever.

Her apartment was silent when she emerged from her bedroom 15 minutes later, but then again she didn’t really expect Oliver to walk around or even turn on the TV. With a smile she headed downstairs and walked into the living room, eager to offer him to take a shower as well while she ordered them some takeout.

The smile faded from her lips though when she walked into an empty living room.  
Oliver wasn’t only gone, he’d also neatly folded up her blankets and placed them in the laundry basket that once held his clothes, carried their coffee mugs over to the kitchen and put Lucky’s water bowl away. Her eyes darted through the room in shock when she spotted a small note on her dining table.

Picking it up, she also saw a 20$ note that had been hidden under the paper. Ignoring it, she began reading the note that Oliver had left her.

_Thank you for all your help. Please see the money for all the expenses I caused you. I know I owe you a lot more, but it is all I have.  
You are a wonderful person._

_-Oliver_

 

After reading the note a second time, anger started to well up in her. Not once did she look at the 20$ bill on her table. Let alone the fact that he’d basically paid her for what she’d done to him and didn’t even give her a proper goodbye made her furious.

The anger didn’t fade throughout her entire sunday. Even though she didn’t have to force a smile when she headed over to the Shoemakers for tea, she was still mad at Oliver’s stunt on the inside.

The first time he’d run on her, she could even give him credit. He probably was just as shocked about what he’d done as she was. But this time, after he spent two nights on her couch, causing her to barely sleep the entire weekend, having her take care of a dog and a sick Oliver, and then up and leave without so much as a thank you? Yeah, she felt like she had every damn right to be mad.

Thanks to the eventful weekend, she went to bed at 9pm that day and even though she’d tried to fight it, her last thought before drifting off to sleep was of Oliver and if he was safe, wherever he was.

 

The next morning she got ready for work, poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at her dining table where the note and 20$ bill still lay in the place Oliver had left it. She couldn’t help staring at it the entire time, contemplating what to do with it.  
In the end, she tucked the money away in her jewelry box, plucked her phone from the charger and headed out to work.

She didn’t see him on her way to work that day and was still too angry to go and look for him during her lunch break. She also didn’t see him the day after and by then, her anger had simmered down, leaving behind only a frumpy mood because for some strange reason, she missed him dearly.  
On wednesday morning though, she spotted a familiar pair of floppy ears sitting at her subway station, in the very same spot she had met Oliver the first time.

With a newfound determination she walked up to him, ready to do what she should have done all along the first day they met.  
Oliver saw her approaching, she could see it in the way his shoulders visibly tensed the closer her heels carried her towards him. Lucky seemed like he wanted to jump forward and greet her, but Oliver kept the leash tight around his neck. It made her frown. At least the dog was excited to see her.

Without a word, she stuffed a 20$ bill into his cup, turned around and left the subway station without a backward glance to start her workday.

 

Oliver stared at the 20$ bill in his paper cup for a long, long time after she had gently patted Lucky’s head and then left without so much as a look at him.  
She couldn’t have made it any clearer that she was angry with him. And he couldn’t really blame her. Not by a long shot. More than once had she helped him when he had nowhere else to go. He didn’t even know how he’d made it into her backyard with his fever and Lucky by his side. Actually, he couldn’t remember anything between wandering around in the rain, completely frozen, and then waking up on her couch, tucked into the softest sheets he’d ever felt.

But that moment, when she disappeared into the hallway to take a shower and Oliver was left alone in her living room, realization quickly kicked in. This wasn’t his world, and Felicity certainly didn’t deserve to be dragged in his. Or, even worse, loaded with his kind of baggage he had to carry each and every day. He’d already done that the moment he put his hands on her when she startled him. He sure as hell wasn’t going to let that happen again.

He didn’t want to leave her like that. If he was honest to himself, he’d have very much liked to stay on that comfy couch for a little longer and enjoy her hospitality. Lucky seemed equally relaxed in her home, but he knew he would be too chicken to man up and leave her when she stood in front of him.  
So he chose the easy way out, even though it hurt him.

 

 **\----------------------**  
Leaving Felicity without at least making up for it wasn’t an option for him though. He dressed in his freshly washed clothes, carefully folded up the sheets she had given him, carried over the dishes into the kitchen, removed Lucky’s food bowls and wrote her a quick note. After digging through his backpack, he found the 20$ bill he’d stored away. It was the last remainder from a hard day at work a few days ago. He stared at the bill in his hand for a moment before he placed it under the note, leaving it for her to see on the dining table.  
When he shouldered his backpack, Lucky looked up. Up until then the dog hadn’t made any move to get up or even leave the spot in front of the fireplace. As soon as he saw Oliver fumbling around with his leash though, the dog shot forward, eager to go out for a walk.

The sound of the shower turned off sped up Oliver’s movements. With quick fingers he collared up the dog, had his shoes on and was out her front door, closing it softly behind him. He had no idea where he walked and didn’t look back until he had made it several blocks from her apartment. The urge to just turn around and walk back to apologize and thank her for her help was almost too big.  
He was far from being well and probably needed a few more days rest until he could face the harsh weather conditions on the street again without risking to get sick. So he made the decision to do just that and walked the long way over to his private hiding spot to lick his wounds until he could start looking for jobs again.  
He passed a shelter that was just about to hand out food, so he got in line and hoped they wouldn’t mind Lucky with him.  
A bland but strengthening lasagna and a small pudding that he stored away for the night later, and Oliver was back on his way to the Glades and his somewhat safe spot for the night, passing out with his last thought of Felicity and how much he had disappointed her.  
**\----------------------**

 

After she’d stuffed the 20$ in his cup and left him, Oliver couldn’t get her out of his mind for the rest of the day. Not that he’d thought about much else the previous two days at work, but after seeing her for the first time since he ran, it gave him a new sense of regret over what he had done.  
He knew he’d risk running into her when he picked the subway spot after ending up without a job for the day, but right now he needed to focus on earning money for the winter. With the temperatures already dropping so low in the evenings it would only be a few more weeks until snow would cover the ground - and he and Lucky had to have a safe spot for the winter nights by then. So he’d taken the risk to see her and picked the free spot at the subway, because it earned him better money than any other spot in the city.  
What he didn’t expect though, was the way Felicity had reacted towards him. He honestly expected her to ignore him if she saw him, and he absolutely would have deserved that. But turning her anger towards him by giving the 20$ back? That definitely gave him an idea at how mad she was.

Right around lunch time, he became anxious. Not knowing if Felicity would still be looking for him at the park, he had no idea what to do. Leaving to look for her would mean losing the spot. Not going would mean not knowing if he’d disappoint her further, though. Especially since she’d seen him that morning already.  
In the end, Lucky took that decision off him. The dog started nervously fidgeting around, clearly in need to relieve himself. Oliver struck camp, took Lucky’s leash and led the dog out of the subway and over to the park.

She didn’t show up.  
Of course she didn’t. She’d made it perfectly clear how she felt just that morning, so why he actually expected her to show up and spend time with him like nothing had happened, he had no idea. With a frown, he left the park almost two hours later without any idea what to do for the rest of the day.

 

“Why such a sour mood today?” her boss Ray asked when Felicity entered his office shortly after lunch. “Did someone snag the last chocolate pudding in front of you?” he added with a grin, earning only an eye roll from her.

“You know I don’t eat at the canteen.”

“Oh, that I do. You keep reminding me every time you turn me down when I ask you to have lunch with me. Something I’m not giving up on any time soon, by the way.” he added with a firm smile and a glint in his eyes that Felicity had gotten used to by now. She had no idea what her boss’s intentions were with her, but as long as she could keep the banter friendly between them, it was fine by her.

“Anyway,” she began and steered the topic away from herself. “I have a few things to take care of, so I’ll head out of work early. I’m already finished going through the papers for Star Labs, so I’m done for the day, anyway.” She handed him a thick folder, wished him a nice afternoon and got the hell out of that office. Oh the joys of being the boss’s personal assistant enjoying those privileges.

Hoping that a good, exhausting hour of hot yoga could help turn her mood around, Felicity went home, grabbed her bag and headed out. John met her in front of her house, but aside from a quick hug her neighbor didn’t have any time for small talk. And the way he was dressed in a crisp black suit told her he was probably just heading to work, or was on a short break.

 

She returned back home two hours later, feeling utterly exhausted and in a lot better mood. After a quick shower she dressed casually and decided to pay her neighbors a visit since she already told her boss she’d do so. It had been way too long since she’d been over at her elderly friends for tea and small talk, anyway. And if anyone could take her mind off a certain blue eyed stranger, it was Mr.Shoemaker and his stories of how he was a heartbreaker par excellence in his younger days.

When she returned back to her own apartment later that evening, stuffed on tea and cookies, she almost missed the small bouquet of hand picked flowers leaning against her door step. She stopped in her tracks and stared at it for a long time before she picked it up and smelled one of the flowers. A look around her neighborhood didn’t show anything - or anyone - out of the ordinary, but Felicity had no doubt who had placed the flowers on her front door. The bouquet was clearly hand picked, and the way one leaf had been twisted around the stems to hold everything together showed her Oliver didn’t just walk around and picked a few flowers here and there, he actually put work and effort into creating a real bouquet for her. And despite the fact that she still wanted to be angry with him, a warm smile crept up her lips.  
The flowers went into her finest vase and ended up on her coffee table, almost looking like the centerpiece of the living room, before she went to bed that night.

 

The next morning her mood was better than it had been in days. With the flowers that greeted her as soon as she stepped into the living room, her thoughts once again strayed towards Oliver, like they did so often lately. She found herself thinking about him more and more each day, despite the fact that she still was a little bit mad at him. But for some strange reason, that blue eyed, big-hearted man managed to catch her thoughts entirely multiple times a day.

She wasn’t sure if she’d see him on her way to work. Part of her hoped that he’d be able to secure another job, but the other wanted to have him sitting in his spot again, waiting for her.  
Luck seemed to be on her side when she spotted him in his familiar place. He even looked a little better than he had just days before, making her wonder how he spent the last few nights.  
“Good morning.” she smiled and took a seat on the bench next to him. Lucky immediately shot up to greet her and this time, Oliver let him.  
“Thank you for the flowers.” she continued when Oliver didn’t say anything.

That actually made him look up at her for the first time. His eyes were filled with regret, pain, but also a flicker of hope as soon as she spoke the words.

“But Oliver,” she continued, leaning a little closer to him, blocking out the world around them for a moment. “it takes more than just a nice bouquet of flowers - and I love flowers.” she smiled. “It takes you not running out on me every chance you get.” she explained when she saw the frown on his face. “It takes you not giving me the feeling as if you can’t stand being around me. Because that’s what your constant escapes do to my ego.”

Oliver processed her words without a sound. He swallowed and gulped twice, then nodded, his eyes downcast when she finished her speech. It almost made her feel as if she was scolding a little child, which was kind of adorable given the imposing appearance Oliver usually made.  
“Alright, I gotta go now.” she squeezed his shoulder once, then got up and straightened out her skirt. “Take care of yourself today, Oliver. I heard there’s a storm coming up.”

With another smile of hers, she stepped back, ready to go to work, when Oliver’s soft words made her stop and turn around.  
“Thank you. And I’m sorry - about your ego, I mean.” he quickly added, earning a warm, heartfelt laugh from her, a sound so foreign yet enchanting to him that he wanted to make her laugh a lot more, each and every day.

“Goodbye, Oliver.” she smiled and this time, not even the smallest trace of anger was visible on her face. Just an honest to god smile that would’ve brought him to his knees, hadn’t he already sat down.

He watched her walk away, like he did so many times in the past already, when she was still very much a stranger to him. Now, it felt like he’d gotten to know the woman a bit who had been brightening his days every time he spotted her on the subway, and he couldn’t wait to get to know more about her and make it up to her for how he’d acted the two times she invited him into her home and so selflessly helped him when he had nowhere else to go.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little shorter but filled with stuff nonetheless with a little insight on Oliver's backstory. :)  
> Happy weekend, everyone! ❤

Part of him felt like a creeper, and he was sure that passersby would agree with him on that, but Oliver was a man on a mission here. So screw it if there were people - or, more accurately, neighbors, giving him strange looks through their windows. He was used to that by now.  
When he heard the familiar click clack of her heels on the pavement though, his back went ramrod straight.

With her keys in hand, ready to soak in her tub for a good hour with a large glass of wine, Felicity stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Oliver standing on her top step, a nervous smile on his lips. Lucky was sleeping by his feet, curled into a ball on her doormat, giving her a small idea that the two must have been sitting there for a little while now.  
“Oliver, wha-”

“I came to say I’m sorry. And I brought pizza.” he added and held up the cardboard box in his hand. “It’s probably cold by now and I had no idea what you like but since you’ve bought me dinner so many times now, I felt like it was time to repay the favor.”

While he spoke, she had closed the distance between them. Being so close to him, she could see how nervous he really was. His fingers kept twitching and moving over the pizza carton, almost as if he was unsure if his gift would be appropriate. And since she knew how much he had to save every penny, she could only imagine what kind of overcoming it must have been for him to spend 6$ for a pizza even though the money could probably buy him and Lucky food for several days.  
The urge to pull out her wallet and pay him became apparent but she shoved it back, not wanting to take this away from him. He’d obviously done all this for a reason, and the fact that he decided to buy dinner made her smile warmly.

“You know what? I’m starving, actually.”  
As soon as the door opened, Lucky disappeared inside, strutting around as if he owned the place. Oliver followed her movements and pulled off his shoes - albeit a little more neatly than her, with her heels practically being kicked off without a backward glance - and placed them next to his backpack in the hallway. His raincoat also went on the hook, but the sight that greeted him in the mirror made him frown. His grey sweater had worn holes everywhere and several stains on it that even washing machines couldn’t remove. It never bothered him since clothes needed to be practical and warm for him in the first place, not stylish - until now. He didn’t want to sit like that at a table with her, looking like a... well, a homeless guy.

_Well, that’s what you are, idiot! Now man up and go out there, she hasn’t bothered seeing you dressed like this before, why should she now?_

There was it again, the voice in his head that had been mocking him ever since he ran out of her apartment like a chicken, too scared to do it with her in the room. The voice that made him pick flowers for her and put them on her front step, and the voice that made him take the 20$ bill she’d given him back and actually invest it in something for them, even if it was just as plain as a slice of pizza.

The smell of said pizza was what pulled him out of his reverie in the end. Felicity had obviously thrown the slices in the oven to reheat them and when he entered the living room, he saw her out on the patio, wiping the small metal table that sat there.  
He didn’t want to just stand there and look stupid, so he went into the kitchen, grabbed the cutlery and plates she’d already set aside and followed her outside. They sat up the table in companionable silence, waited for the pizzas to heat up while Felicity opened a bottle of wine.  
Oliver politely declined when she offered him a glass and decided to go with water instead. He was already sitting outside - as instructed by her - when he heard the telltale sound of a food bowl being filled. Lucky must have heard it, too, if the 2-second sprint through her backyard and into her living room was any indication.

When Felicity carried out two plates, the scraping sound of a metal bowl being moved around on her kitchen floor was the only sound breaking the silence between them. She placed the plates down on the table and sat down opposite of him, eager to dive into the food.  
Oliver watched her place the napkin in her lap and starting to cut the pizza with her fork, thanking the stars he hadn’t began eating before her. She probably would have been offended, seeing him eating with his hands rather than fork and knife, especially after they’d set up the table so neatly. 4 years of living on the street really did something to his table manners.

Felicity seemed to sense his inner turmoil though, and when she looked down at the silverware in her hand, she placed it both to the side of her plate.  
“You know what? Screw it.” she grinned, grabbed the slice and took a huge bite off it. “Table manners are for sissies, and noble restaurants. Hell, I eat cereals in my jammies every sunday morning while sitting on my living room floor watching Inspector Gadget.” she laughed and took another bite.

Oliver couldn’t help but laugh at the image she painted in his head. Her, sitting with tousled, bed-ridden hair in front of her couch, a large bowl of cereal in her lap, eyes fixed on some kids cartoon on the TV. The image fueled the desire in him to see her just like that, at least once.  
By the time he’d broken out of his day dream, she had already finished half her slice. He was so hungry that he could probably beat her to it, but didn’t want to appear any more boorish, so he took a few slow bites while keeping his eyes focused on her. Lucky had joined them outside at some point after finishing his bowl.

“I wanted to apologize for -” he began but commotion in the backyard behind his back made her look around him, stopping him mid-sentence.

“Hey, Felicity.”

At the male voice coming from behind him, Felicity looked up and broke out in a smile while Oliver’s body went completely rigid.  
“Hey, John.”

“Enjoying the afternoon before the storm rushes in?” the man casually asked again, but Oliver could hear some soft of cautiousness hidden under the casual demeanor. That neighbor of hers obviously cared and looked out for her, which was fine by him, as long as that was all there was.  
_Wait, where did that possessiveness suddenly came from? She’s not yours, cut back on that shit!_

“Yeah,” Felicity replied and looked up at the sky, where thick clouds were already forming above them. Soon they’d have to get back inside, and Oliver needed to figure out where to go and when to leave if he wanted to make it to the Glades without getting soaked.

Oliver still sat with a stiff back, not moving a muscle while she spoke to her neighbor. He wanted to turn around, to check out who was living next to her, but that would have meant having to reveal himself to someone who might ask questions. And he hated having questions asked about him.

“Cute dog.”  
Lucky answered that with a suspicious look towards the man on the other side of the wall. _Good boy._

“He belongs to Oliver.” Felicity spoke proudly. And even though he hated to have his name shared with that stranger, he loved seeing the pride on her face while she spoke about him. But that also was his cue to at least turn around and acknowledge the man.

Oliver turned slightly in his chair, sent the man a quick, tight smile and small nod of his head. The huge, dark-skinned man who clearly looked like he had some sort of military background mirrored that motion. He could also see the wariness in the man’s eyes, not that he could blame him for that. If he’d see a man with worn, filthy clothing sitting in his friends’ backyard, he’d also be wary as hell.  
“You’re good, Felicity?”  
And that question only confirmed Oliver’s thoughts. That neighbor of hers was protective as hell - and he obviously didn’t like Oliver.

Felicity looked a little irritated at the question even though she covered it quickly.  
“Yeah, we’re good. Heading inside soon.” she smiled with a short nod.

“Alright, then,” John replied, the concerned look still on his face when he slowly headed back inside his own apartment.

Just seconds later, the first thick drops of water started to land on them. With a squeal that was way too adorable for his liking, Felicity shot up from the chair, grabbed her plate and sprinted inside. With a small smile on his lips, Oliver followed her after clearing out the table and making sure Lucky was back inside as well.  
Together they loaded the dishwasher and settled on the couch. The rainfall had picked up noticeably, the sound of raindrops hitting her glass windows loud in the large room.

“So... what were you saying when John interrupted us?” she sat with a look over the rim of her wine glass. One of these looks that told him she hadn’t forgotten and wasn’t going to let him off the hook now.

He fidgeted with his fingers in his lap for a moment before he looked her straight in the eye. The warm smile and wild blue of her eyes captivated him.  
“I wanted to apologize again,” he spoke softly, his eyes never leaving hers. “for leaving you like that. And for what I did the other night. For hurting you.”

She sat the wine glass on the coffee table and faced him again. They weren’t sitting that close together, but even the faint scent of her perfume mesmerized him. And no matter how or when this day would end, he’d cherish it for a long time.  
“Why did you run? Was I a little too forward? I mean, you were sick, almost passed out on me. I wanted to help. I’m sorry if I overstepped any boundaries, but you kind of freaked me out a little and I didn’t know what else to do.”

It wasn’t lost on him that she didn’t even acknowledge his other apology for hurting her.  
“You didn’t overstep any boundaries. Well, not that I can remember. It’s not that.” he mumbled.

“Then what is it, Oliver? Because as of now, you’ve not only run once but twice, and that’s not a nice thing to do when a woman is upstairs, making afternoon plans.” she told him with a pointed look, even though her lips were still quirked up in a small smile.

Oliver fidgeted with a loose thread of his sweater for a moment before answering.  
“I’m not used to people being so generous. Or people offering help without demanding something in return later.”

“Well I’m not like most people.” she smiled.

“I also don’t want to impose or cause you any trouble. But then I woke up I saw that you were having a stiff back and that you obviously slept very little, because of me. I felt terrible putting that burden on you and causing you any trouble.”

After processing his for a moment, she slid a tiny bit closer to him.  
“Oliver, look at me,” she began and patiently waited until he lifted his head and looked her in the eye. “You’re not a burden to me. Truth is, I like having you and Lucky around. And helping you is the least I can do. That’s what friends do, you know?”

Friends. He hadn’t had a friend in so many years, at least not one he could trust and rely on. And even though he wanted to do things to her that friends most definitely didn’t do, he gladly accepted all she was going to offer him, even something so simple like a friendship.  
“I still want to apologize. For hurting you. And for running. I shouldn’t have done that, and I’m sorry.”

“Apology accepted.” she finally replied with a smile. “But for the record, I won’t be so forgiving the next time.” she added with a stern look that, even though she smiled, made it very clear to him that she wasn’t joking.

“Deal.” he replied and this time, he even cracked a smile himself.

“So now that we’ve settled that... tell me a bit about yourself.”

She expected him to stiffen up as soon as she spoke the sentence. She also expected him to find some excuse and leave again, despite the heavy downpour going down outside. Especially after seeing him inhaling deeply.

What she didn’t expect though, was him actually replying to her.  
“I’ve been living on the street for around 4 years,” he spoke with a soft voice, eyes lifted to the fireplace, seemingly lost in thoughts. “and during that time I’ve only come across one person as generous as you are. His name was Louie.”

She didn’t miss the past-tense that he used.  
Snuggling a little deeper into her couch, she pulled the blanket over her lap, placing the other end over Oliver’s lap as well.  
“Tell me about him?”

“He saved my life.”  
This time, there was a small smile on his lips. She could only imagine how little good memories he must have of his 4 years on the street, so she was very happy that he was willing to share some with her.

“Hold that thought,” she suddenly hopped up from the couch. “I’m going to get us more wine. Want a beer? Looks like you’re going to be stuck with me for a bit, anyway.” she grinned and nodded her head towards the window where more rain was splattering against.

“I don’t drink.” he replied softly.

“At all?” She was so surprised at his words that she actually stopped on her way over to the kitchen.

“At all. But water or juice will be just fine.”

Stocked up on drinks and some crackers that Felicity found in her cupboards, they both settled back on the couch. Lucky had already fallen asleep again in front of the fireplace.  
“So... tell me about Louie.” she spoke softly, trying to break the awkward silence that fell between them.

Oliver took a sip of his orange juice, gulped and nodded once after setting the glass back down on the table.  
“Well, I owe him my life.” he began with a sad smile. “Just a few weeks after I ended up on the street, I got mugged. Big time. They stole everything I had when I fell asleep under a tree in the park. My clothes, shoes, the little money I still had, everything. Even my backpack with all my belongings, my sleeping bag and the last very personal item I always carried with me.”  
Felicity noticed the way his eyes became terribly sad while he spoke about his personal item, but didn’t dare interrupt him, even though she wondered what it must have been.  
“After that I kept wandering around on bare feet. I hadn’t eaten for days, hadn’t slept even longer. Funnily though, people tend to give their money to those homeless people that still can somewhat take care of themselves. If you look like you’re about to die at their feet at any moment they rather step around you and avoid looking at you at all cost. The place where I used to crash was overrun by drug addicts and when I passed out on a park bench, some other waif stole my jacket. It was the last straw I could take. I just wanted to give up and die on that bench.”

He had no idea why all that suddenly bubbled out of him, but once he’d started talking, he couldn’t seem to stop. No one except Old Louie knew that story, but it felt good telling Felicity about it. Her warm, blue eyes kept fixated on his face the entire time he spoke, and even though he was sure she would look at him with pity or even disgust, none of that happened. If anything, she seemed only more curious.  
“So how’d you get back out of that?”

“Old Louie found me.”  
Thinking of the day he’d met the grumpy old man made him smile slightly. Louie was one of the very few people out on the street that Oliver could 100% rely on, even when he barely knew him. That was a rare gem in this dangerous world.  
“He saw me lying on the bench, half asleep, shivering from the cold. I won’t ever forget how he used his walking cane and swatted my feet with it, his gruff voice asking me if I was stupid for running around barefooted in the middle of October. We instantly became friends. He gave me some of his things to wear, shared and apple and half of his bread with me and showed me the place where he got a warm meal every two days and where he usually spent the nights. I slept more than 13 hours and when I woke up, he was sitting beside me with his half toothless grin, and proudly told me that he’d scored some clothes for free from some generous people at a nearby flea market. I don’t think I’ve been more thankful for anyone in my entire life than I have been for Louie.”

Felicity was so entranced by Oliver and the fact that for the first time he actually opened up to her and shared something from his life with her that she almost missed what he said. Or the sad smile that had been on his face the entire time he spoke about his friend.

“Sounds like it’s hard making friends out on the street.”

He nodded.  
“It isn’t surprising, though. At the end of the day, you have to take care of yourself, no matter the cost. You can’t afford to open up to others, only to have a knife held at your throat at night and all your belongings taken away. Desperate people can do desperate things sometimes, so I’ve always been careful who I trust.”

Felicity knew that feeling all too well, even though she wasn’t in as half a dangerous position as he was on the street. But for her, opening up to someone, or even trusting someone could mean being overrun and having her job taken away. Competition was fierce in her field of work and more often than not she’d almost burned her fingers - and risked her career - by trusting the wrong people. She could easily count her friends, real friends, on one hand and most definitely none of her work colleagues fell into that group.  
So Oliver having trust issues because of the life he lived? Yeah, she could very well relate to that.

“May I ask what made you end up on the street?”  
She was genuinely curious about that. From day one, actually. And thanks to 3 glasses of wine and the somewhat relaxed conversation they were having, she felt comfortable enough to ask it. Now Oliver only needed to be comfortable enough to answer.

He fidgeted with his fingers for a moment, eyes downcast at his lap. Felicity was beginning to regret asking when Oliver spoke up.  
“Being around the wrong people. Blindly trusting them, even.”

She felt sucker punched at that. His words sounded so much like something that could’ve come out of her mouth a few years ago, when her ex-boyfriend mis-used one of her inventions and almost ended her up in prison. She could relate to these words, and the fear of doing exactly that, that she almost blurted out asking what he used to do for a living before ending up on the street. Her curiosity was definitely piqued. But Oliver’s whole posture told her that asking any more questions regarding that topic would mean him closing off. And that was the last thing she wanted.

“So it’s someone other’s fault that you ended up on the street?”

“No,” he replied quickly with a firm shake of head. “that’s all on me. But I wouldn’t do it any other way if I had to do it all over again.”

That gave her a small idea of how much impact the things that happened must have had on Oliver.

The rain had dwindled down considerably by the time she had finished her bottle of wine. When Felicity let out a yawn and realized it was almost 11pm, she looked over at Oliver and within seconds, made a decision.  
“I’ll be heading to bed, soon. You can stay the night, if you want. I have a guest room upstairs. It’s not much, but it has its own bathroom and the bed is quite comfortable.” she offered.

Oliver’s eyes went wide at her words. Him passing out on her couch with a fever? Yeah, he couldn’t do much about that. But actually accepting to stay at her place for the night? That was way more than he could do, no matter how much he wanted to say yes.  
“Oh, uh... thank you, but I think we should get going soon. It’s not raining any longer and I was hoping I could get another job tomorrow, so we’d be gone early in the morning. I really don’t want to impose.”

Felicity seemed a little disappointed at his words, but didn’t say anything about it. Instead, she only nodded, hopped up from the couch and walked over to the kitchen. Oliver followed suit and dressed in the hallway while Lucky watched the commotion from his spot in front of the fireplace. When he had his duffel bag shouldered and Lucky collared up, Felicity met him in the hallway, holding a small paper bag.  
“That was a nice evening. Thank you for the pizza, it was delicious.” she smiled and once again, Oliver couldn’t help but stare at her in wonder.  
Her flawless skin, the big blue eyes, the few freckles on her nose that she tried to hide under a layer of makeup, even the small dimple on her cheek whenever she smiled. She was probably the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen. With her kind heart and her generosity added to that, she easily made the perfect woman for him. If he was still the man that would fit by her side, that is. Which he clearly wasn’t, not by a long shot. Not in the last 4 years.  
When he looked away, Felicity seemed to break out of the trance as well. She cleared her throat once, gulped and took a small breath before she smiled at him again and held up the plastic bag in her hand.

“What’s this?” he frowned.

“Since you’ll be job hunting tomorrow morning, I want to make sure you’ll have all the energy needed for the day.” she grinned proudly and put the bag in his outstretched palm.

“You made me a lunch pack?” he asked, an honest, amused grin on his face. This woman was absolutely adorably priceless.

She waved him off with an equal grin of her own.  
“Just a few things I could find in my cupboards. Which reminds me that I definitely need to go grocery shopping tomorrow.” she added, looking a little lost in thought while she spoke. It made Oliver grin even more watching her.  
“So I’ll probably won’t see you for lunch tomorrow?”

“If things go well, probably not. I really need to save some more money for the next months and good paying jobs are dying down over winter.”

She could understand that all too well, but the thought of not being able to see him the next day made her frown nonetheless.  
But then a thought crossed her mind.  
“How good are you at paving? I wanted to redo my patio for months now and actually planned to have a construction company come over and give me a quote. But I thought... well, maybe if you could do it I could hire you instead? If you’re interested, of course.”

He was about to decline and tell her she should rather ask a construction company to do the job. But then her words clicked in his head. She was offering him a job, not trying to find him something to do because she pitied him. He had seen the cracks in the cement of her patio, that definitely needed to be done. It also meant he wouldn’t have to be picky about the job, since Lucky could roam around in the backyard while he was working. Ordering all the tools though would be a tough thing. That, and talking about payment. Because even though he would have loved to take what a construction company charged, there was no way in hell he would be ripping her off like that. Not after everything she had done for him already.  
“I’ll think about it. Thank you for the offer.”

That seemed to please her for the moment.

After another thank you for the lunch bag and an awkward hug, Oliver stepped out into the dark night, leaving the warm confines of her home to make the long trip through the city to his hiding place in the Glades. It would have made sense on so many levels to accept her offer and stay for the night, but that felt like more than he could accept. Sitting on her couch so casually throughout the evening was almost too overwhelming for him, even though he enjoyed every minute of it with her. It was still just all a little too good to be true for him.

 

The days flew past after that, and no matter how much Felicity tried, she simply couldn’t find Oliver. He neither sat at the subway station in the morning, nor did he wait for her at the park during lunch. Part of her hoped that he was able to find work every day, helping him to save money for the winter season. But the other part couldn’t get past the constant worry about him, if he was fine or if anything had happened. She already had a small idea how hard life on the street could be, but after what he told her on her couch 4 days ago, she became downright afraid for him.  
Something that also started to annoy her was the fact that no matter how hard she tried, there simply was no way she could get in touch with him. If he didn’t sit at one of their two ‘meeting spots’ or showed up at her place, her chances of finding him in the city usually ended at that. He didn’t have an address, no regular schedule, he didn’t even have a burner phone where she could reach him. It frustrated her to no end.

 

A day later, the first snow had started to fall in Starling City.  
Her worry about Oliver only increased with that, but when she spotted him waiting for her in front of her apartment, a small smile on his lips, all the worry instantly fell from her shoulders.  
“Hey! How have you been?” she asked, noticing the thick winter coat that he was wearing. Lucky was equally wrapped up in what looked like a little doggie coat, his white feet and head sticking out of the dark blue parka. It looked way too cute.

“Pretty good, actually. I got a job for a few days and the boss just offered me to stay for the rest of the month. So I’ll have enough money to get Lucky and me a room for the winter.”

“Oliver, that’s wonderful! Come on in, I’ll make us a hot chocolate!” she smiled and headed up the stairs. Other than the times before, Oliver didn’t hesitate to follow her in this time.  
This time, he felt better than he had in a long while. He had a job for the next 3 weeks, already put in a payment to secure the room he needed during the winter and the woman he liked looked incredibly proud of him. Things were looking a lot better than they had ever before for him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy weekend everyone!  
> I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! This story is SO MUCH fun to write! ♥ ♥ 
> 
> Also, I would love to read your guesses as to why Oliver might have ended up on the street! Let's see if anyone can guess how this story will play out! :)

Relaxing on her couch with a cup of hot chocolate, Oliver told her about his new job as a carpenter, renovating an old victorian mansion in the outskirts of the city. He told her about how Lucky kept hiding his work tools, or how one of his temporary workmates shared his lunches with him after finding out about his living situation.  
Felicity was so happy and proud of him that it warmed his heart. Ever since Old Louie passed away there hadn’t been anyone he could share these kinds of news with. And even though Lucky always was a patient listener, it usually was pretty boring having one sided conversations with his dog.

 

When she had to get ready for a yoga class though, Oliver also took that as his cue to leave.  
“I wanted to stop by the shelter on Korr street and see if they have any clothes for the winter left. It gets pretty cold in that house when all windows are being replaced.” he explained. Felicity offered to pay for the subway ticket so he wouldn’t have to walk back into the city, but he declined politely.

The hug they shared this time before parting ways wasn’t as awkward as the last one, and Oliver couldn’t help himself but linger for a moment to inhale the scent of her shampoo as soon as her arms wrapped around him. It smelled like vanilla and a little hint of hair spray, and he instantly wanted to smell it again.  
With a promise to report on his job and new apartment at least every few days, they both parted ways. Felicity, loaded with a duffel bag of gym clothes into the subway station and Oliver, with all his belongings packed into the backpack on his shoulders, heading back into the city.

 

He knew not to expect too much when he rented a room in that rundown apartment building. But then again, he didn’t expect much from it, at all. He only needed a warm and somewhat safe place to stay for the night, not too far from the city so he could make it to his pickup place for work every morning in time. He would’ve easily chosen a cheaper place, too, had there not been the problem again with dogs being allowed almost nowhere. So he had no other option than the building he found himself standing in front of that evening.  
The apartment owner didn’t bother showing him around or even speak a few words to him other than telling him that Lucky wouldn’t be allowed to walk around the apartment and that the rent had to be paid on time every week. The room on the far end of the hallway was technically more a storage than a real room, but it had a mattress, a small nightstand and a little lamp on it. It was all Oliver needed for the next few months. A window would’ve been nice, though.

All the other rooms of the large apartment seemed occupied as well, even though all doors were closed. Oliver was thankful that his door had a small key, though the hinges looked like they could probably be kicked in with the first try. Not that he planned to let his belongings in that room while he was away.  
When he and Lucky settled on that mattress for the first night, the loud noises in the background of the apartment seemed miles away. If his 4 years on the street had taught him anything, then that it’s the little things you should always appreciate. Right now, he had a roof over his head, his best friend by his side, a job and therefore regular income for the next 3 weeks and a blonde woman on his mind that, for some reason, refused to leave again.

 

With the job keeping him busy throughout the day, he barely found the time to meet with Felicity. Only once in over a week had he been able to make it to her apartment and find her at home, the rest of the week he was either too exhausted, or she hadn’t been home. He couldn’t deny that he missed spending time with her, but his job had been so demanding lately that he couldn’t find the energy to visit her more often. Plus, keeping the apartment was too important to him to pass up any opportunities to make extra cash whenever his boss asked him to stay longer.

 

It had been ten days since Felicity had last seen or spoken to Oliver and she missed him. Dearly. She was glad that he had a job and safe place to stay, but it still didn’t change the fact that she would’ve loved to spend more time with him, too.  
With winter already in full force and snow coating the streets, she constantly found herself wondering how he was doing.  
Not even Thanksgiving preparations with her neighbors could push her thoughts away.  
“Want to talk about why you’ve been so silent ever since we arrived here?” John spoke up beside her while preparing the turkey filling.  
It didn’t surprise her that her neighbor was so observant. When she first moved into her apartment over two years ago and met him, she’d blamed it on his job. Now, after he slowly became one of her best friends, she knew that it just was the way he was. A very observant male mother-hen.

With a sigh, she mashed the filling in the bowl in front of her with a little more force than needed.  
“It’s just that I’m worried about my friend.”

“The one with the dog? Oliver?”

She nodded.

“He in trouble?” This time he sounded a little wary again. Not that she could blame him. Despite the few times they had sat together and talked, she had never mentioned Oliver to him. Coupled with the wary look he sent her when Oliver had been sitting in her backyard, she could only imagine what John must be thinking of him.

“No, it’s not that. At least I hope he’s not. But…” she had no idea what to tell him without revealing too much of Oliver to John. “He’s been having a rough time lately and I just hope he’s fine.”

“So call him.”

“It’s not that easy.”

John stopped working and studied her for a long moment. She could feel his gaze on her, daring her to explain further. Only she couldn’t. Oliver’s story wasn’t hers to tell, especially not after the few tidbits he had just revealed to her.

“I’m sure he’s fine. He looked like a big boy that could handle himself well to me.”  
It seemed he wanted to say more, or maybe even ask another question, but Felicity was thankful that he didn’t.

They avoided that topic throughout the rest of the night and with the Shoemakers digging out old stories about their Thanksgiving parties as children, Felicity even managed to distract herself for a few hours and enjoy the company of her neighbors. It still didn't help that she wishes Oliver could've joined them.

 

Another week passed with no contact from Oliver whatsoever. She didn’t see him at the subway station or the park that she still checked out every day during her lunch break. He also didn’t meet her in the evening in front of her apartment. And despite the fact that her job had kept her incredibly busy since Thanksgiving, she still missed him dearly. That and the constant worry about his well being kept her on edge almost every day, especially with the freezing temperatures outside and the heavy snowfall that refused to stop for over two weeks now.

It had been almost 3 weeks since she last talked to him and when Katie made the mistake to ask her about Oliver at work one day, she just snapped. She didn’t want to yell at her assistant and she definitely didn’t want to throw a fit at work, but her mood was officially ruined. She buried herself in work for the rest of the day and left the office way after everyone else.

 

She had been walking through the thick snow to the grocery store near their office after work. With the weekend coming she just wanted to hole up at home with a good bottle of wine and some Dr.Who episodes until she fell asleep on her couch.

Loaded with a paper bag of wine and junk food, Felicity made her way to the subway station when she almost stumbled over a large snow covered pile of clothes. She had trouble catching herself on the slippery ground and immediately apologized when the pile began moving. When a little floppy eared dog peeked his head out of the pile of blankets, Felicity gasped in shock.  
“Oliver?”

The pile grunted again but aside from Lucky looking up at her with big eyes, she couldn’t see anything under the snow covered blankets. Her grocery bag long forgotten on the ground, she kneeled down and hesitantly reached out and began peeling away the wet layers of cloth and snow in front of her. Soon a hood covered head sat there, his eyes downcast in his lap. She could see that Lucky was shivering in his small winter coat and given the temperatures and the thick snow covering and surrounding them, she wasn’t surprised at all.

“Oliver?” she tried again, her tone softer. This time he actually looked up and what she saw absolutely broke her.  
His eyes were bloodshot and sleep ridden, his lips blue and trembling. He looked worse than she’d ever seen him.  
“Oh my…” she whispered and softly took one of his hands in hers. Even through her thick winter gloves she could feel that his fingers were freezing cold.  
“Come on,” she urged him and pulled on his hand. It took her several tries but in the end, he staggered up to his feet, Lucky close by his side. She let go of his hand and grabbed the grocery bag from the ground.  
“Pack your things, you’re coming with me.” she announced firmly, staring at him with a look that told him her decision was absolutely non-negotiable. He didn’t protest, didn’t even sigh. He simply turned, folded up his frozen blankets, shouldered his backpack and picked up Lucky in his arms. Felicity could see how much he was swaying on his feet and she hoped he would make it to the subway station. If he fell, there was no way she could hold him up.

The whole way home they didn’t speak a single word.

 

They stopped in front of her apartment where she quickly looked over her shoulder to make sure he was still with her. Oliver didn’t look at her, he kept his hood pulled over his face and his head downcast. With the darkness surrounding them, the only thing being illuminated by the street lamp were Lucky’s white face and feet. The rest of them was covered in almost complete darkness.

Felicity led them inside, but other than the last time he’d been in her apartment, he didn’t start undressing. This time, he stood unmoving next to her while she took off her winter boots and coat. Felicity glanced at him for a nanosecond before she turned and walked out of the hallway into her living room.  
“Take off your coats. And get your asses in front of the fireplace. Both of you.” she called over her shoulder on her way to the kitchen.

Before taking off his own jackets, he removed Lucky’s coat and leash. The dog immediately ran into the apartment and disappeared somewhere in the living room. As soon as Oliver opened his jacket, the warmth of her apartment hit him. Ever since getting kicked out of his room he had been in a constant state of freezing.

She was still rummaging around in the kitchen when he walked over to the couch and sat down in front of the fireplace. Lucky had found his place on the patio doormat again, rubbing his entire body on it with jerky movements and Oliver was glad that the dog had finally stopped shaking from the cold.  
He could hear the tea kettle heating up in the kitchen when Felicity placed a plate of cookies on the table.  
“Follow me.”

Oliver looked up at her in surprise for a second. She had a small smile on her lips but he could also see some traces of anger in her eyes. He had no idea what she was up to, but he got up and followed her.  
She led him through her hallway and up a flight of stairs. He counted 4 doors and she opened the first on the right.  
Stepping inside, she motioned for him to follow her.  
“This is my guest room but since I never have guests to stay over, you can have it. It isn’t much, but there’s a small bathroom attached and you’ll have your own shower.” she motioned for a closed door at the other side of the room.

Looking around, he could see a queen size bed with a nightstand, a drawer and a small desk sitting under the window. The whole room was colored in warm, earthy colors and was almost four times the space his last room had been, not to mention the 4 windows that actually allowed some natural light coming in.  
“Go have a shower to warm up. I’ll be downstairs and get us something to eat.” she told him and was gone before he could even form a response.

Standing in that guest room of hers, completely confused about what just had happened, he had no idea what to do. She had just offered him a room to stay but for how long, he had no idea. For now he was just too exhausted to put up a fight with her. Part of him knew he wouldn’t win such a discussion, anyway.

The bathroom was small but outfitted with everything he would ever need. He hesitated for a moment but then slowly peeled off his clothes.  
The shower felt heavenly warming and refreshing. He took his time smelling all the different shower gels while the water warmed up his frosty limbs. They all reminded him of Felicity, even though he couldn’t find the exact scent he had smelled on her weeks ago.

Her towels were heavenly soft and smelled like roses. But when he dried off and spotted the heap of his old clothes on the ground, he realized that he had nothing he could change into. His bag was still downstairs, not that he had any dry clothes in it, but at least he wouldn’t have to put back on his filthy,wet clothing he had worn for days now.  
When he opened the bathroom door, he spotted his backpack leaning against the bed and a pile of neatly folded clothes lying on top of it. He had no idea who they belonged to and upon inspection he could clearly see that they weren’t Felicity’s. But since he had nothing else to wear, he quickly dressed and made his way back downstairs. The sweatpants and thermal were a little tight fit, but generally fit him well. They made him feel cleaner than he’d been in months.

 

Felicity was sitting on the couch with her phone, a sleepy Lucky in her lap. As soon as she saw him rounding the corner she looked up at him.  
“Oh thank god, they fit. I wasn’t sure but didn’t want you to dress in the stuff you had been wearing.”

“They fit well. Thank you.”

It were the first words she had heard from him in almost 3 weeks. His voice sounded as hollow as he looked but it made her heart jump nonetheless.  
“Hungry?”

He looked down and nodded once. No reason to deny the obvious to her any longer. He couldn’t even remember the last time he had eaten solid food and wasn’t about to deny himself now.  
“Perfect.” she smiled and got up from the couch, carefully lifting the dog from her lap. “Lucky has already eaten. He seemed to want another bowl, but I wasn’t sure about over-stuffing him, so he only got one serving.” she spoke on her way over to the kitchen.  
As soon as she pulled the lasagna out of the oven, a delicious smell wafted through the room.  
“Sit.” she ordered and served them both a plate.

They ate in silence, only the crackle of the fireplace making a sound in the room. As soon as he had emptied his plate she got up and brought him another serving. Oliver wanted to protest, but his stomach won the fight.  
He could feel her eyes on him the entire time. It seemed as if she wanted to ask a ton of questions, but for some reason she stayed completely silent.

 

Together they cleared up the table and sat down on the couch in the living room. By then, he had warmed up considerably, his stomach was fuller than it had been in two weeks and his best friend looked comfortable as well.

Felicity sipped on her wine, her body turned towards him on the couch with her feet tucked under her while Oliver warmed his fingers on the mug of tea in his hands.  
“I was worried about you.”

Her soft spoken words caught him completely by surprise. His eyes snapped up to hers. The anger in them was gone, but he could see that worry she had spoken of as clear as day.

“But we’re not going to talk about that yet. For now, I’m only telling you that you can stay in that guest room with Lucky. I’ll get you fresh sheets and towels when I head to bed. Tomorrow we’ll have breakfast and then I’m going to have a few questions. But for the rest of the evening I’m going to be happy that you’re safe.”

“Why do you trust me?”

His sudden question completely took her by surprise. She expected him to give her reasons why he couldn’t stay, or mybe even tell her he didn’t want to impose, but she definitely didn’t expect to hear these words from him.

After another sip of her wine, she contemplated how to respond.  
“Well, you don’t strike me as a violent person. Please don’t prove me wrong.” she added with a small laugh and put her glass back on the table.

Even though it still didn’t make sense to him, he appreciated it very much. If not for her he probably would’ve died from the cold and fever weeks ago and if not for her, he would still be outside in the snow, hoping he and Lucky wouldn’t freeze to death and make it another day. He had become so thankful of the blonde beauty that offered him help without ever asking anything back, offered him a place to sleep without worrying about her safety, that he badly wanted to do something in return for her. He just didn’t know what.

“Would you want to watch some TV? Normally I would be soaking in my tub right now with a huge glass of wine, but we could watch some TV, if you’d like.” she offered and Oliver instantly imagined her sitting in her tub, all naked, covered in bubbles. It made his heart rate pick up speed for a few bumps.

“You can go and have a bath if you want. I don’t want to hold you back from that. Normally I’m building camp for the night around this time, so if it’s okay with you, I’d head to bed soon.”

She quickly shot up from the couch.  
“Oh absolutely! You must be super tired. Sorry, I hadn’t thought about that. Give me five minutes.” she called over her shoulder and sprinted up the stairs. Oliver had the urge to follow and offer to help, but stayed put. Lucky seemed completely passed out to the world on her carpet and it made him happy that at least for once, his best friend would have a safe and warm place for the night. He felt so guilty to put his dog through all his bullshit day after day, forcing him to freeze beside him during the nights and having to walk around on an empty, rumbling stomach. But he also knew that if he didn’t have his best friend by his side, he would’ve long given up.

Just when he kneeled down next to Lucky and started stroking him gently, Felicity reappeared downstairs. He didn’t seem to notice, giving her the chance to watch the two of them for a moment. The way Oliver had been acting so selfless and gentle with his dog from the day she met him absolutely warmed her heart. Most people would’ve abandoned their pets if it meant having to share the already very small amounts of food, but not Oliver. No matter what, he always seemed to share with his best friend, even if it meant he had to endure the day on an empty stomach. She had rarely seen such a compassionate person, especially given his living conditions.

“He can sleep in bed with you. I don’t mind.”

Her soft voice made him look up. Her hair was loose, and the work clothes had been changed into some sweatpants and shirt, along with a pair of glasses on her nose he hadn’t seen on her before. Oliver had no idea if she was heading to bed, too, or if she was going to have that bubble bath she was talking about, but he wasn’t sure he had ever seen her looking more pretty. For a moment, it catapulted him back to the afternoon they had spent together at the music festival, a memory that was very precious to him.  
Oliver nodded and got up from the floor while Felicity walked over to the kitchen. She returned with two bottles of water in hand and motioned for him to go upstairs, shutting down the light in the lower level.

Once upstairs, he found fresh sheets covering the bed, along with two folded towels sitting at the foot of it. It felt a little bit like spending the night at a hotel, only that no other rooms than his were available and he had to share the house with the owner. She probably had family and friends that stayed over all the time and was used to it, but for Oliver this was all still a little overwhelming.  
“If you need anything else, help yourself from the fridge downstairs. My bedroom is down the hall, if something’s wrong, just knock. I’m a light sleeper.”

Oliver nodded once. “Thank you. For all of this.” he gestured around the room. “For everything you’ve done for me. I don’t know how I deserve this, but I want you to know I’m very thankful. And so is Lucky.”

Her smile widened at his words.  
“You’re very welcome. I enjoy the company and hardly use that room, anyway. And you can repay me by answering some questions tomorrow.” she added with a pointed look over her glasses.  
That was the least he could do, even if it meant having to answer uncomfortable questions. But if anything for all she had done for him, she at least deserved some honest answers to her questions.  
“Good night, Felicity.”

 

He could hear her rummaging around in her room for a while after she left him alone. Lucky wandered around the room, obviously trying to find a place to sleep for the night. Since Oliver didn’t have any clean clothes to sleep in, he only kicked off the sweatpants and hopped under the sheets. He had to fight back a small moan when he felt the baby soft and warm sheets covering him and the mattress the most comfortable he’d slept on in years.  
Lucky seemed equally eager to get into bed. When he looked down, the dog sat beside the bed, whining and waggling his tail. With the mattress being so high, there was no way he would be able to make it into bed by himself. Oliver was about to ignore the whining and make the dog sleep on the floor when Felicity’s words popped back in his mind. She had actually allowed Lucky to sleep in bed. And since he had no idea if there would be another night like this, why should he deny his best friend the pleasures of these soft sheets?  
He bent down and quickly pulled Lucky up with one arm, then tucked him under the sheets right next to him until only his face peeked out of the blanket.  
“Enjoy this night, little friend. We might not know if we get another chance to sleep so comfortably.”

The dog licked Oliver’s face while he talked to him and soon closed his eyes and drifted off, but Oliver found himself wide awake despite the few hours he had slept in the last 3 days. The faint splashing sounds coming from down the hallway fired up his brain on high gear. He couldn’t help but imagine what Felicity would be doing right now, and how she would look like, covered up to her chin in bubbles. For a short second he even thought about boldly walking up to her, knock on her bathroom door and see if the attraction was only one sided. But of course he didn’t do that. No way in hell would he jeopardize everything Felicity had done for him so far, only because his libido made a sudden appearance after being gone for a few solid years.

Half an hour later the sounds died down. He could hear her tiptoe through the hallway again but shortly after that, silence fell over the house. It was so stark different to what Oliver was used to in the last 4 years that it freaked him out for a moment. Normally there were always some kind of noises in the distance; cars honking, an alarm blaring, cops rushing by, or sometimes even someone snoring loudly in the next room, like it usually happened at shelters or in his last apartment. But total silence around him coupled with the fact that he actually felt safe for the first time in years overwhelmed him a little.  
In the end, tiredness won, and he soon drifted off.

 

Oliver had slept better than he had in ages and if not for the whining of his best friend next to him, he probably would have slept hours longer. But unlike him, Lucky was actually awake and seemed to have urgent matters to be taken care of. Oliver quickly sprang to motion at that and helped his dog downstairs. The last thing he wanted was Lucky staining Felicity’s carpet or floor just because he forgot to let the dog relieve himself.  
The hallway and lower floor were still dead silent when he entered the living room. It took him a second to figure out the security lock on her patio door, but as soon as he had it open, Lucky rushed out, making a beeline through the snow for the tree at the end of her yard. It made him chuckle to see the dog so wound up, having an almost relieved look on his face as soon as he got to lift his leg.

 

Commotion in the hallway woke Felicity up. After her relaxing bath she had fallen asleep within minutes, probably thanks to the 3 glasses of wine, too. But when she heard the squeak of a door in her hallway and the creaking sounds of her wooden steps, her back went straight on the bed for a second. She was already looking around for her baseball bat when she remembered Oliver and Lucky occupying her guest room. She sagged back into bed with a relieved sigh.  
But it also made her wonder how he could be up so early already. A quick check on her phone proved her right.  
7.35am  
Way too early to get up on a saturday morning, one of the only two days where she actually was allowed to sleep in.

Curiosity got the best of her, so she hopped out of bed, put on her fluffy pink robe and slippers and padded downstairs.

The guestroom door was wide open when she passed it and as soon as she spotted the rumpled sheets she stopped for a moment, imagining Oliver sleeping in her bed. It made her wonder what he would wear for sleep and that thought quickly reddened her cheeks. As soon as she heard the patio door being opened downstairs, her feet shot into action again.

The sight that greeted her when she came downstairs was almost too much for her poor, still sleep-ridden brain.  
Oliver, dressed in nothing but black boxer briefs and the T-shirt she had given him the night before. He leaned so casually against the doorframe, chuckling at something happening in her backyard that for a moment, it looked to her as if he’s always belonged in that place. He also looked so stark different from the times she normally saw him, his body hidden under layers upon layers of clothing with his head hidden behind a hood. This time, he stood barefooted in her living room, dressed in his sleep clothes, his hood gone, showing his tousled, dirty blonde hair.

“Good morning.”  
Her words made him jump around in surprise. He looked so shocked that she couldn’t help but giggle.  
“What’s so funny out there?”

Oliver turned around once more and watched Lucky plowing his way through the snow in her yard.  
“Lucky doing a thorough checkup of your backyard.”  
She came up beside him and watched the dog through her window. Snow had fallen again through the night, hiding the dog almost entirely. Only the black tip of his tail and the spotted ears that peeked up every now and then were visible. It was way too cute to watch.  
“We should maybe plow him some paths through the snow so he actually stands a chance.” she chuckled.

“Naah, he’s a big boy.”

“Well…” Felicity grinned, earning even a small laugh from Oliver.  
“He isn’t exactly the dog I would picture you with.”

Oliver looked at her for a long time and Felicity realized that he seemed way more relaxed than she’d ever seen him with her. He didn’t seem to mind that he was barely clothed and that there wasn’t a hood he could hide under, even though his hair was also long enough to do the job. He didn’t seem to mind to stand next to her and engage in an actual conversation with her, and it all made her happy. Baby steps.

His eyes soon traveled back to the backyard, where Lucky had plowed himself a labyrinth of paths through the snow already.  
“Yeah, maybe not. But he’s the best friend one could have and we both helped us through bad times. I don’t care if people think he fits me, or if he’s too feminine for me. He’s my best friend, that’s all that matters.”

His words sank deep with her, reinforcing her thoughts of what a humble, compassionate human being Oliver was.   
When he looked at her a second too long, she nervously broke eye contact and cleared her throat.  
“Well, it’s getting a little chilly. I’ll go and change real quick, then I’m making us breakfast.”  
And with that, he watched her disappear up the stairs, his eyes lingering on her backside as long as he could.

When Lucky scurried back inside and left a chunk of snow on his bare feet, Oliver realized that he’d been practically naked all the time she had been talking to him. Maybe that had been the reason why her pupils dilated as soon as she stepped up next to him. At least he hoped that it was.  
He knew that he needed to add a few pounds and that he wasn’t in the best of shape, but the fact that Felicity still seemed to notice him gave him confidence. At least a little bit.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> super short chapter, because I'm currently battling the worst bronchitis ever, but I'll promise to get another chapter up after the weekend! :)
> 
> Also, thanks for all these great comments with your ideas as to what Oliver's backstory could be. Some VERY creative ideas out there! :)

The breakfast table had been set up when Oliver returned back downstairs, this time dressed in the sweatpants of the night before, along with the cleanest hoodie he could find in his bag. He was still embarrassed to wear such old, filthy clothing while sitting at a table with Felicity, but since he had nothing else to wear, the hoodie needed to do.  
He didn’t miss how she perfectly remembered how he liked his coffee, not even bothering to ask him before she put a steaming hot mug in front of him. Aside from cereals she also had a few bagels in a bowl, some bacon and some fruit that she immediately started shoveling onto her plate.

Oliver hesitated for a moment, but when she actually raised an eyebrow at him and motioned for him to eat something as well, he grabbed a bagel and some bacon. He couldn’t even remember the last time he had breakfast.

“Thank you for letting us stay the night.” Oliver broke the silence, deciding to be the one who began the conversation for once. Since she had done so much for him without ever asking for anything back, that was probably the least he could do.

His words earned him a small smile from her.  
“Did you sleep well?”

“Better than I have in years. The silence was a little confusing at first, though.”

“Oh, tell me about it,” she laughed. “After living in Vegas for almost 20 years the first nights in this apartment have been like a shock to my ears. I guess that’s what a loud city does to you.”

“You’re not from Starling City?”  
_Maybe that’s why she doesn’t recognize you. That, or the street has finally changed you beyond recognition._

“I moved here 3 years ago, after getting a pretty good job offer.”

Well, that explained things. 3 years meant there had been more than 1 year after what happened. He didn’t follow the newspapers or checked online magazines, but he was fairly certain that even the Starling Inquirer wasn’t reporting about things for that long, no matter how big a headliner it once was.

“Now I’m having a question,” she continued, pulling him out of his thoughts. He could only guess what she might be asking and since he promised her honesty the night before, he only gulped and nodded.  
“Why did I find you out on the street, in the middle of the night, under a layer of snow, and not at your apartment, where you belong at these temperatures?”

He was fidgeting with the last quarter of his bagel in his hand, no longer interested in eating it. Of course she’d want to know. After telling her the news about his apartment and the job and the way she was so excited for him, she probably was confused as hell. And it embarrassed him to no end. Which was the exact reason why he hadn’t gone to her, even though he wanted to more than once.  
“The first few days I was doing okay. The apartment was all we needed and the job was alright, too. At least for the first week.”

“What happened then?” she frowned.

“Then they simply stopped picking me up at our meeting point. At first I thought it maybe was a mix up, so I walked all the way over to the construction site, only to find it completely deserted. Some neighbor told me that the owners had stopped renovations immediately because of some family issue.” he shrugged, but Felicity could see the frown on his face. She could imagine how hard it must be for him to lose the first more or less stable job on his first week already.  
She was about to say something supporting when he continued.  
“So I lost my job. Others weren’t available any longer because with this kind of weather, no one’s looking for construction workers. And with no job, I could no longer afford the place. They kicked us out the minute I asked him for a delay of a few days.”

Anger welled up in her at someone being so heartless and throwing a man and his dog out into the freezing fucking winter without so much as a glance back.  
“But why didn’t you come here?”

There it was. The one question he was so hesitant to answer.  
“Because I was embarrassed.” he mumbled into his lap, suddenly looking far from the 29 year old man she’d grown so fond of over the past weeks. It broke her heart.

Felicity was silent for a long time, never taking her eyes off him. She set her coffee mug down and gently placed her hand over his, making his eyes snap up to the table.  
“You know, if I’ve learned one thing growing up in Vegas, it’s that there’s nothing to be embarrassed about if a situation is out of your control.”

He looked up at her, not quite believing in what she said.  
“If you had spent your money on alcohol or went gambling, for example, instead of paying your rent, _then_ you had all reason to be embarrassed.” she explained. “But neither losing the job nor losing the apartment was your fault.”  
She squeezed his hand once to emphasize her point and show him support, but Oliver didn’t quite believe her yet.

“I could have done more, could have tried harder to find another job.”

“Well you did, didn’t you?”

He nodded.

“Then that proves my point.”  
With another supportive squeeze, she let go of his hand. After that, the tension seemed to have vanished between them. Oliver let out a breath and looked a lot more relaxed than he did after she asked her question, so she decided to inquire a bit further.  
“So what happened afterwards? After they kicked you out?”

The long forgotten piece of his bagel suddenly looked appealing again. He bit off another piece and took his time answering.  
“The first night I spent at my usual place in the Glades, but the building had been overrun with addicts and drunks that stay there for the winter, so it wasn’t safe for Lucky and me.”

Her eyes went wide in shock.  
“It was safer for you out on the street, exposed to the weathers?”

He nodded with a sigh.

“Jesus,” she whispered, completely stunned. She always imagined that he was more or less safe at that place in the Glades, but hearing that he would risk his life easier by staying in that building than staying outside in the freezing snow, she got a small idea of what dangers he was really exposed to.

“How long have you been staying outside?”

“6 nights. I tried to warm up during the day, but with the very few buildings that allow people like me inside, especially people like me that have a dog with them, it’s really difficult.”

She suddenly looked incredibly offended.  
“You’re a person like everyone else, Oliver. If I’m allowed inside a building, you very well should be, too. Especially during winter season. What cold hearted person could send away a person in need?”

“You would be surprised,” he laughed sadly and from the look in his eyes she could see that it must have happened to him many times already.

 

She was about to ask another question when suddenly her phone interrupted them, making them both snap around and look at the coffee table. From the ringtone Felicity immediately knew that it meant work.  
Excusing herself, she grabbed the phone and walked out onto the patio.

He tried not to be too nosy and listen to the conversation, but with his coffee already empty and his bagel eaten there wasn’t really anything he could do. Seeing her mug empty as well, he headed over to the kitchen to refill them both. He felt a little uncomfortable moving around her kitchen without her knowing, but since she was also out of a drink he figured it would be alright.

Just when he put the mugs back on the table, she came back inside.  
“I need to get to work.” she sighed and plopped back onto her chair. “It will probably only take 3 or 4 hours, but I definitely have to go.”

She looked like she was about to say more, but Oliver cut her off. She had already done so much for him he couldn’t accept yet another gesture from her, no matter what she might offer.  
“That’s fine. I wanted to head out to the city for a while, anyway. Lucky needs the walk and I need the money.” he told with a smile that looked terribly forced to Felicity, though she didn’t say anything against it.

 

They cleared up the table together and both took their time getting ready. Oliver had been ready a lot sooner than her, but since he could still hear her running around in her bedroom, he took the time and waited for her downstairs. Running out on her definitely wasn’t an option any longer, she had taught him that much.

Felicity looked a lot more casually dressed for a work day than he was used to seeing her when she came down the stairs. Instead of the skirt or dress she usually wore she had on a pair of jeans and matched that with a dark purple blouse. She looked casual but still classy, especially with the glasses on her nose and her blonde locks wrapped in a ponytail.

Catching him staring at her, she cleared her throat with an amused grin. Oliver immediately looked away, embarrassed he’d got caught.  
“Ready to go?” she smiled and Oliver instantly shot up from the couch.

“I should be back home by 3pm. Will you be back?” she asked with an expectant look when they walked down the steps of her apartment. Oliver hadn’t bothered putting a leash on Lucky, who immediately ran forward and started sniffing around the trees on the sidewalk.

He hesitated before answering. With no place to stay for the night, her offer sounded appealing, but since she didn’t even mention anything about him staying over again, he had no idea what to say. If she decided to kick him out in the evening, he wouldn’t be able to find any place for the night that didn’t leave them totally exposed to the weather. But then her words from earlier over breakfast came back to his mind, reminding him how shocked she was when he told her how many people denied him a warm place during the day.  
Now the question bothering him was, could he really ask her for that kind of compassion and hospitality, knowing she wouldn’t say ‘no’ because of who she was?  
He nodded once and found himself wrapped in a hug that surprised the hell out of him. But then her perfume invaded his nose and he couldn’t help but linger for a moment longer.

At the subway station their ways parted.  
“See you later.” she smiled and before he could blink, she was gone.

 

If she had known what kind of ‘emergency’ her boss Ray had been talking about, she never would’ve agreed to come to work on a saturday. One of her only two free days off. With Oliver being her temporary houseguest, no less.  
“Tell me again why you couldn’t take the call from Harrison Wells on your own?” she told Ray with a slightly annoyed tone. “Sometimes you make me wonder who really runs your company.” she added with a slight quirk of her eyebrow.

Ray seemed completely unfazed by her annoyance. If anything, he looked mildly amused.  
“I could never wrap Wells around my finger like you do. You know I couldn’t run this company without you.”

“Yeah, but on a saturday? I actually have plans on a weekend, you know.”

“Is that the reason you refuse to go out with me?” he grinned smugly.

“Among other things.” Felicity replied back with an eyeroll, not that it did anything to Ray’s ego.

“Well then let’s get this handled quickly, shall we?” he winked and motioned for the conference room. Under normal circumstances she didn’t mind his all excited behavior, but today she could do well without it.

 

Several hours and a long, exhausting conference call later, Felicity couldn’t get back home fast enough. After a quick stop at the grocery store and buying dinner from the indian place for Oliver and her, she made her way back home.

With the food stored in the oven, Felicity headed upstairs to put the stuff she’d bought for Oliver into his bathroom. She couldn’t help but giggle at the sight of one of her girlie pink razors sitting next to the shaving cream she’d gotten for him. With a brand new toothbrush and toothpaste set next to it she looked incredibly proud of herself when she left the guest room and changed into something more comfortable.

Boredom had gotten ahold of her once she had changed the sheets of both her own and Oliver’s bed, emptied the dishwasher and rearranged her DVD collection. She didn’t want to admit to herself that she was waiting for Oliver but deep down she knew it was true.

A soft knock at her door made her jump up and dash through the hallway. Oliver stood there, an almost sheepish smile on his face, with Lucky in his arms. The little dog was shivering and Felicity immediately took him from Oliver’s arms.  
“Oh you poor thing. Let’s get you all warmed up. Come on in, Oliver.” she smiled over her shoulder and left for the hallway.

Oliver almost had to fight back the amused grin that crept up his cheeks. The delicious smell that invaded his nose as soon as he stepped into the living room made his stomach grumble. Breakfast had been delicious, but with the more or less constant food that Felicity was getting into him lately, his stomach seemed to start demanding food more often than it had on the street. His body had just gotten used to being fed irregularly. Now, it seemed as if it became greedy. Not that Oliver minded. Lucky seemed more alive lately and even he himself felt as if he had more strength to make it through the day.

Together they set up the table. Lucky was already pushing his food bowl through the kitchen, greedily munching away on the food she’d given him.

“So, what did you do today?” Felicity asked over a forkful of noodles. “And how in the world are you so good at using chopsticks?”  
She couldn’t help but stare at the way he used the chopsticks with an easiness that made her green with envy. After several years she hadn’t been able to master that, always making a fool of herself.

He hadn’t really noticed it until she pointed it out. Years ago he’d been using chopsticks on a regular basis, but with living on the street you rarely got the chance to eat food that was served with chopsticks. It had been natural for him to pick them up with the food instead of the fork she’d also placed on the table. Now, he wanted nothing more than throw the reminder of his past through the room and eat with the fork instead.

“Will you show me?”

Her question pulled him out of his thoughts and made his head snap up to her. She looked as if she could see the troubled thoughts he found himself in and wanted to help him focus on something else. Something that also meant he got to touch her in the process.  
He put his own chopsticks into the bowl, grabbed hers and took her hand from the table. After gently placing the chopsticks in the right position between her fingers, he showed her how to move them. It took her a few tries but in the end, she managed to maneuver a good amount of noodles into her mouth without making a mess of herself.  
The tingles on her wrist made her realize Oliver hadn’t let go of her hand yet. With the way he was leaning over the table slightly, sitting so close to her all of a sudden, made her heart rate pick up. It would only need the turn of her head and their faces would be right in front of each other, his lips only inches away. And yet she felt frozen to the chair. Oliver seemed to sense the closeness, too, and let go of her hand, clearing his throat.  
“See? You’re a natural.”

She snorted. “Yeah, you haven’t seen the last 20 times I tried to use them and the several dresses and tablecloths I ruined in the process.”

An amused glint crossed his lips.

“So what did you do today?” she asked him while carefully moving the chopsticks.

It wasn’t really that he had much to tell, but didn’t want to be rude and brush her off either.  
“Spent some time in the city. I thought about going to the shelter for some new clothes, but figured they’re probably closed until monday.”

She wanted to kick herself for not thinking about buying him any clothes sooner. The toiletries she’d gotten him immediately popped into her mind when she left work, but she hadn’t thought of getting him some clothes, too. The few things her ex Cooper had left behind only helped him so far and especially with the cold winter days she wanted to make sure he’d stay warm.

 

After dinner, in which Felicity managed to actually finish her bowl with the chopsticks, Oliver took care of the dishes while Felicity cleaned up Lucky’s plate. Working in tandem with Oliver in her kitchen felt new, but for some reason neither of them felt uncomfortable.

With the rest of the evening in front of them, Felicity felt a little at a loss what to do next. Normally her weekend evening plans didn’t include a fine male specimen, giving her all reins at what to do. Now she very well couldn’t spend the rest of the night with her nose hidden behind a book. Not that she would ever want to do that with Oliver around.  
Sensing him as much out of his element as her, she decided to go for something creative.  
“When was the last time you have played Scrabble?”

The dumbfounded look on his face made her laugh out loud. It had been more than 10 years since she’d last played and since it was the only board game she owned, it seemed like a cool idea. With the way his eyebrows were raised high on his forehead right now, she made an internal fistpump at managing to surprise him that much.

“I don’t think I’ve ever played Scrabble.” he shrugged slightly, but the look on his face told her that he wasn’t opposed to her suggestion.

Felicity made quick work digging out the game from her shelf and entrusted him with the task of setting up the game on the living room table while she got snacks and drinks ready. With the fireplace crackling in the background, casting the room in a soft, golden glow, Oliver looked terribly perfect sitting on her couch, eyes cast toward his sleeping dog on the floor. She had never been comfortable having a partner around her all the time, loving her sense of freedom in her own four walls, but for some reason, she didn’t feel any of that with Oliver. If anything, she was even looking forward to having him around, something that had never happened before.

“Wine, or beer?”  
She sat down opposite of him, holding up both a stemmed glass and a can of Heineken.

The earlier relaxed look she’d seen on his face vanished in an instant.  
“Water will be fine.”

Remembering his words about not drinking, she put her wine glass down and got up from the floor, heading over to the kitchen to grab him a bottle of water.  
“May I ask why you don’t drink?” she asked and after handing him the bottle. “Not that I think everyone on the street has a drinking problem.” she quickly added.

Oliver seemed to look torn between answering and finding a way to just ignore the question. He took a small sip from his water and slowly screwed the lid back on, his face impassive but his eyes were full of sadness.  
“Bad memory.”

She knew that was all he would say to that, but the look on his face, his whole posture actually, spoke volumes to her. There was more than just a bad memory and the pain and sadness on his face made her incredibly sad. She had so many more questions, but for once she was thankful her throat refused to cooperate.

Thankfully it was Oliver who decided to break the uncomfortable silence between them. He picked up the bag of squares and started setting up the game. Felicity watched him, now a ton more questions about him in her head. She had felt the urge to get to know him before, but after what he just said with his eyes, she couldn’t help but feel the pull towards him only intensifying.

 

It took them half an hour to get back into the relaxed atmosphere between them, but the game and her quirky remarks every time Oliver managed to score points off words she had just laid out did some great help. By the time she was through her second glass of wine, his mood had also been back to loose and relaxed.

It had been way past 11pm when Felicity finally called defeat after losing round after round to Oliver, who looked amused to no end by her grumpiness.  
“You’re a bad loser.” he grinned and helped her packing away the game.

“Well do you enjoy losing?” she snapped back with a pout, instantly regretting the tone in her voice. When his face broke out in a wide grin though, she also relaxed.

“Fair point.” he winked.

On her way back from the kitchen she spotted his backpack still sitting in the hallway near the front door. She hadn’t paid it any attention when he came back and up until then she was sure he’d brought his stuff back up into the guest room. But seeing the bag still waiting at the front door only confirmed her suspicions.  
Oliver was still prepared to be sent away.

With a newfound determination to change these thoughts in him, she strutted back into the living room and made a beeline for the laundry room.  
“Go check your stuff. I wanted to wash a load tomorrow morning and only have half the basket filled.” she casually spoke over her shoulder while retrieving the laundry basket.

He looked so confused she wanted to laugh.

“Don’t you have anything to wash?”

“Well yeah, but... you really don’t have to wash my stuff with yours. I can do that at the shelter some time next week.”

She was having none of that.  
“Nonsense. I need to wash anyway, and half a load would be wasting water. So... here.” With a grin, she pushed the laundry basket into his hands.

After hesitating for a moment, he got up and marched over to retrieve his bag. She gave him the moment, not wanting to pry. Handing over his only belongings to her for washing was probably tough enough for him already, he really didn’t need someone looking over his shoulders while he did it.

The basket slowly filled with more and more clothes, most of them looking worn and old. When he sat back on the couch, she took that as her cue to walk back inside. She grabbed the basket and looked him over once.  
“Go change real quick so I can wash your jeans and sweatshirt, too. I left your sweatpants on the guest bed.” she nudged her head to the stairs, leaving him a little dumbfounded on the couch. She could hear footsteps heading upstairs, followed by some rustling sounds, while she set up the washing machine. It made her wonder how long it’d take him to get accustomed to being around her place regularly because with the weather not changing for at least another few weeks, there was no way she would let him and Lucky out into the snow again. At least not as long as he didn’t have another option than her guest room.  
She had to snicker at the thought of practically keeping Oliver hostage.

Minutes later Oliver stood in the doorway, dressed in the sweatpants and shirt from the day before, his clothes neatly folded in his hands. She took them with a smile and loaded the machine.

“Is it really alright if I stay another night? I don’t want to ruin your weekend.” he spoke softly, almost hesitant.

“You’re not ruining it. If you weren’t here, I’d probably fall asleep on the couch - again - with a book in my lap. It’s nice not doing that for a change.” she smiled back.

They both called it a night shortly after that. Oliver led Lucky out into her garden one last time so the dog wouldn’t wake him up in the middle of the night to relieve himself. Felicity watched the two interacting with each other, a little envious at how relaxed and at ease Oliver was around the dog. She wanted that with him, too.

Felicity excused herself upstairs early, giving Oliver a few minutes alone.  
“Just make sure to lock the patio door, will you?” she asked him, earning a firm nod from him.

 

She could hear when he came up the stairs and closed the door to his guest room, the trapsing sounds of Lucky’s feet sounding incredibly cute on her hardwood floor. But after that, it fell almost completely silent in the house. And even though she couldn’t hear him, knowing that he was in her house again gave her a sense of peace. Not only because she felt a little bit safer in a house that she never really felt unsafe in before, but mainly because she knew where Oliver was and that he was safe with her. Not having to worry about his whereabouts did wonders for her mood and helped her fall asleep a lot more easily than she had in all the weeks before, not knowing where he was.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU for all your well wishes and sweet comments. I'm feeling much better already and had a lot of time to work on this story (which was the only positive thing about my sickness, though).  
> 
> 
> So without further ado, here's another chapter! Enjoy! :)

On sunday morning Felicity woke to the sounds of Oliver walking through her apartment again, but this time she didn’t sit up at the unknown noise. This time she stayed in bed and listened to him, knowing he’d probably let Lucky outside.  
Minutes later, he returned back upstairs and a quick check of her phone showed her it was already well past 9am. She couldn’t remember when she’d last slept so long.  
Deciding to take a refreshing shower, she hopped out of bed and opened the curtains. A thick new layer of snow was covering her windowpane, making it evident how much it must’ve snowed through the night. She was instantly thankful again to know Oliver and Lucky warm and safe with her and not having to face the harsh weather conditions outside.

 

The door to his room was still closed when she passed it, but she could hear the shower running. She made quick work in frying some bacon and scrambled eggs and pouring two cups of coffee as well as filling Lucky’s food bowl before they both returned downstairs. What she wasn’t prepared for was the sight that greeted her when she left the kitchen and saw Oliver standing in the doorway.

He looked almost 10 years younger, his long and unruly facial hair closely cropped to a short stubble, even though it looked a little wild with longer and shorter areas here and there. His dirty blond hair was still wet from being toweled down, the tips hanging over his ears. She could see he was a little uncomfortable with the length, but kept her sole focus on his face. It looked fresher and cleaner than she’d ever seen him.

The more she openly stared at him, the more he looked a little uncomfortable.  
“You found the razor.” Felicity mused, her shock quickly turning into a wide smile.

Oliver nodded and let out a breath he’d been holding ever since he saw her turn around. He rarely had the chance to shave or trim his beard and since it had been more than 4 weeks since he’d last done it, he could only imagine what kind of picture he must’ve painted for her all this time.

They sat at the table together, both enjoying their coffee and bacon while Lucky gobbled down his breakfast in the kitchen.  
“It snowed again last night,” she sighed when she saw the piles of snow piling up on all her windows. “Which reminds me that I need to clear the stairs to the house again.” she added with a heavy roll of her eyes.

“I can do that!” he called so quickly, he couldn’t have stopped himself even if he’d tried to. Not that he wanted. That job meant he could repay her kindness that she’d shown him over and over again. And it meant being able to do something with his hands again, something he’d been itching to do. Not having any job made him restless, sitting around all day was never something for him.  
Felicity looked surprised by his offer for a moment, but quickly agreed. She almost looked relieved not having to do it herself, not that he could blame her. She was barely taller than the snow shovel and with the freezing temperatures outside, no one would be eager to work outside. No one but Oliver, apparently.

She busied herself with the laundry while Oliver cleared her steps and the sidewalk from the thick layer of snow. Remembering her words from weeks ago about the elderly couple living next door that always baked her cookies, he also got to work clearing their steps as well. He saw a curtain being lifted once at the sound of the shovel on the pavement, but when he walked around and up the steps back into Felicity’s apartment, the curtains had been shut again.

 

She handed him a hot chocolate and was about to thank him when her phone started ringing. It instantly cut the thick tension that had appeared between them as soon as he came back inside and had his boots and jacket shrugged off. She hugged him for clearing out the Shoemaker’s walkway and he wanted to tell her that it was the least he could do, but then her damn phone ended the situation between them.  
She excused herself and grabbed the phone from the counter.

The chirpy voice on the other end of the line was clear for even him. So was the cringe on Felicity’s face as soon as she heard it.  
“Good morning!”

“Hey Katie. Please don’t tell me your call is work related. And if it is, I’m going to hang up right now. Ray had me pestered enough to last for weeks yesterday.” she added with a roll of her eye and plopped onto the couch.

“Why of course it’s work related, you silly. I called to ask when you’ll show up at my place so we can get ready for the christmas party?”

Oh frack. The christmas party.  
She had completely forgotten about that one during the last week. With the constant worries about Oliver and then finding him snowed in on the pavement, she had blocked out all other stuff, especially that christmas party. And now, with Oliver sitting a few feet away from her, watching her intently, she wanted nothing more than to cancel that damn party and stay at home with him. But of course she couldn’t do that without raising unwanted questions from her coworkers, especially Katie.

“Ugh, about that,” she began and nervously scratched her forehead, trying to come up with any excuse. “Something came up, but I’ll meet you at the party.”  
She really hoped Katie would leave it at that and not inquire any further. She definitely had no intention to elaborate any more or even explain about Oliver, but she also knew skipping that party altogether was not possible. Her assistant would definitely show up at her door if she tried.  
“Alright, but we’re definitely going to have a drink later. And don’t you dare skip the dress that I picked out for you.”

With another eyeroll, Felicity ended the conversation, turning her attention back to Oliver who had taken a seat on the couch next to her.  
“That was my assistant, the one who brought you lunch one afternoon.” Felicity explained. Oliver remembered that day well. He still had the small note she had left him safely tucked away in his backpack.  
“I completely forgot about the christmas party at work today. So much for my day off.” With a sigh, she leaned her head back into the couch and rubbed her forehead.

As much as Oliver would have enjoyed to spend the day with her, preferably holed up at the apartment all day, but he would never make her miss any important meetings.  
“If you want me to leave I can-”

“No!” she called quickly, her head snapping up. I don’t have to leave until 3pm. Would you want to come back later? When I’m back home again?”

She looked so apprehensive all of a sudden that it really surprised him.  
“Do you want me to?”

There was no hesitancy when she nodded. It made him want to walk over to her and just pull her in his lap, thoughts that didn’t really help his situation.

“I might need your help with something,” she suddenly piped up, her eyes twinkling with excitement. He sat a little straighter and watched her expectantly. “Katie made me buy a dress for the party. She kind of talked me into it but I’m a little hesitant if it’ll fit me - or the occasion, for that matter.” she explained and Oliver felt his back go ramrod straight. Was she really going to ask what he thought?

“How can I help?” The tension and nervousness in his voice was clear as day.

“I’ll just put it on and you tell me what you think.” she replied and sprinted upstairs.

Oliver sat completely frozen on the spot, unsure what to do next other than wait for her. He could hear footsteps on the upper floor and imagined it’d take her a good 15 minutes to get dressed. At least that had been one memory of his past whenever there was an event he had to attend to and almost every time arrived late because of a ‘dress situation’.

But just a few minutes after she dashed upstairs, he could hear the familiar clacking of her heels coming down the stairs. And as if he was a little boy again anxiously awaiting to receive his birthday gift, he sat straight and kept his eyes locked on the hallway.

The first thing he saw were the gold, strappy heels on her feet, followed by a mile of a leg. Some of her skirts and dresses had been on the shorter side, but this was by far the most skin he’d ever seen her show. When her full body came in view though, all his breath got knocked out of his lungs. She looked absolutely incredible.  
The gold dress, glittering and shimmering under the light, fit her body tightly, the small slit on her thigh revealing an extra inch of skin without being indecent. And even though she hadn’t done anything to her hair yet except for freeing it from the messy ponytail from earlier, Oliver loved the way her blonde curls fell over her shoulders. Everything on her, from the heels to the dress, even to her blonde hair that matched the color of her dress perfectly, she looked absolutely stunning.

The more he stared at her, open mouthed like an idiot, the more she began to feel uncomfortable under his gaze.  
“It’s too much, isn’t it?” she asked, nervously nibbling on her thumb. “Katie made me buy it because she said the color looks great on me and that I’ll twinkle like a christmas ornament, but it’s just… too much. Too much glitter, too short, just too much everything.” she babbled on while Oliver still stared at her, unable to even blink in fear of her being gone in that moment.

“No!” he quickly called, wincing when it came out more desperate than he wanted to. “No, you look great. Really, really great.” he added.

She seemed to consider his words, looking down at herself and gliding her palms over the short piece of fabric. It did a lot of things to Oliver’s mind and none of them were appropriate for the situation.  
“Really? You don’t think it’s a little over the top for just a christmas party?”

“Well if you’re the only one showing up in formal clothing then yes, you might be a little overdressed.” he smiled, making her laugh a little. She immediately relaxed, her shoulders stopped looking so tense.  
“But do you really want to go out there in these heels?”

That made her look down at her feet and Oliver internally slap himself. Normally he could keep his mouth shut, but for some reason concern won over his rational thinking.  
“What’s wrong with them?” she asked, frowning.

“Nothing’s wrong with them. But there’s 8 inches of snow out there. You’ll freeze your toes off before you even reach the subway. If you reach it at all.”

She realized that he had a fair point. Up until Katie called an hour ago, the plan had been to get ready at her assistant’s place and then haul a cab over to the company since Katie lived way closer to Palmer Tech than Felicity did. Now she had to make the entire trip on her own.  
“I’ll just call a cab to my place.”

“Are you sure you’ll be alright?”

A mischievous smile crept up her lips.  
“Of course. Why, would you want to accompany me?”

To that event? Oh how badly he wanted to say yes, even though every fiber of his being was fighting against getting back into that kind of scene again. He had no clothes to make a presentable company, he had no intentions to go to such an event at all and get back into the public eye but heck, if his possessive streak didn’t want to plaster her to his side and show everyone she was his.  
_She’s not yours, idiot. Cut the possessive shit. She didn’t even say she wanted you to be her plus one._

Seeing her in that dress did a ton of things for his brain. Most of them were about the looks she’ll draw, the interest she might spark in other men. He had been to enough company parties to know workmates used these events to ‘mingle’ with other single women from the company. More often than not he’d witnessed the fallouts of these events shortly after, often with the woman handing in her resignation and looking for another job.  
He didn’t want that for Felicity. He didn’t want anyone lay hands on her, period. Not that he expected her to jump into the first male making advances. From everything he’d gotten to know about her so far he could imagine she was getting plenty of male attention, something that suddenly didn’t sit right with him.

“Maybe I should pick something else.” she murmured more to herself, snapping Oliver out of his reverie.

“You look beautiful, Felicity. You could probably wear a rag and would still look stunning.”

His words made not only him blush slightly, but her as well.  
“Thank you.”  
Her hands kept smoothing over her dress, nervously fidgeting with it here and there.  
“Well, I’ll go change again real quick. No need to wrinkle it just yet.” she smiled shyly and headed back up the stairs. The short glimpse of her backside made Oliver’s eyes go wide. She hadn’t turned around when she came downstairs and the intricate gold and black lace covering her entire upper back, along with the dress barely stopping below her firm butt made him choke back a groan. Now he really wanted to plaster her to his side and never give any other man a chance with her.

 

When she returned back downstairs minutes later, looking not any less beautiful to him but a lot more relaxed in her casual clothes, Oliver had no idea what to say. He had no idea if she wanted to get ready in peace, or if she didn’t mind having him around. But since he didn’t have his clothes back yet there really wasn’t anywhere he could go. Not with his only belongings still in her dryer.

As if on cue, Felicity unloaded the dryer and started sorting through the laundry basket, gently folding all clothes that belonged to Oliver in a pile on the couch.

“Let me help you.” He sprang up from the chair his butt had been rooted on for the last 30 minutes and closed the distance between them. She handed him a load of towels and socks and made sure to keep all her underwear completely out of his reach. It was kind of cute to watch, actually. Every time she accidentally pulled out something that even resembled a slip, she quickly tossed it behind her and out of his view, all the while having a fierce blush on her cheeks.

 

With his fresh clothes safely tucked back into his backpack, Felicity offered to take Lucky out for a walk. The dog immediately peeked his head up at the mention of his name and even Oliver seemed to like the idea. They both changed into warmer clothes and took their time tucking Lucky into his winter coat before heading out and facing the cold winter day.  
Just when Felicity closed the front door while Oliver and Lucky waited for her at the foot of the steps, the door of her neighbor's apartment flew open and an elderly woman stepped out.  
“Felicity, dear! I was about to knock.”

“What’s up, Mrs.Shoemaker?”

“I wanted to thank you for sending that lovely gentleman over to shovel our front door. What a fine young man.” the elderly woman cooed, making Felicity look wide eyed over at Oliver and him blush profusely. It had been years since he’d last been called a gentleman, or even a fine young man, at that.

Felicity looked at him a little longer, clearly surprised to hear her neighbors words. She cast a glance over the elderly woman’s shoulder and indeed found the entire stairs to the Shoemaker’s apartment freed of any snow.  
“Yeah he is, isn’t he?” she smiled, keeping her eyes focused on Oliver while she spoke. The elderly woman snickered and giggled next to her and even though Oliver felt somewhat uncomfortable being the center of attention of two women right now, the look on Felicity’s eyes all made up for it. He felt completely mesmerized by the twinkle in her blue eyes, along with the small, genuine smile on her lips.

“Well I’m not going to bother you two lovebirds any longer. Enjoy your sunday, you two.” she patted Felicity’s hand and was back inside before either of them could even say something or set her straight on the lovebirds comment.

“She really is something.” Felicity muttered with a small chuckle and joined Oliver on the sidewalk.

“She seems like a nice person.”

“You certainly won her over by shoveling their front door.” she chuckled. “That was very kind of you.”

It was the least he could do. If not for Felicity, then at least for the delicious cookies Mrs.Shoemaker had given her. He hadn’t eaten anything so delicious ever since he was a little boy and his grams made him and his sister cookies every sunday.

 

Together they walked through the streets around her neighborhood, Lucky seeming to enjoy the exercise of being able to run around and make all trees in the neighborhood his. They fell into an easy conversation about the Shoemakers, and even though Oliver didn’t say much, Felicity didn’t seem to be fazed by that. She made him chuckle with funny stories all the time and seemed to enjoy his laugh more than she did his words. And funnily, so did Oliver. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d laughed so much than he was doing with her lately. For some reason that blonde woman next to him managed to peel off all the layers he’d added over his heart in the last years and no matter what he did, he couldn’t fight her.

Ever since ending up on the street, he’d never found a woman attractive, not even looked at one for longer than a mere second. Until Felicity. Long before they actually spoke for the first time when he helped her up and saved her phone he’d been noticing her. If someone had told him that there would actually be a time where he’d sleep under her roof and walk his dog with her, he would’ve laughed that person off and told him he was ridiculous.

Now, it all didn’t look so dark for the first time in 4 years.

And just when they rounded the corner of her street again some other thought crossed his mind. He hadn’t once thought about taking his backpack with him, leaving it long forgotten next to her couch in the living room - something that had never happened before. Ever.

 

Back home Felicity had to hurry getting ready so she wouldn’t run late. Oliver couldn’t do anything but pass the time by packing and repacking his belongings in the guest room until there was nothing else to do. So he headed downstairs and joined Lucky in front of the fireplace, studying the few photographs of her on the wall above them. There was one that immediately caught his attention - Felicity was standing in her burgundy graduation gown with a brightly smiling blonde woman in a tight blue dress next to her. Felicity’s smile was somewhat awkward while the blonde woman had a full blown grin plastered on her face. They looked like a mismatched couple, but for some reason it didn’t look wrong to Oliver.

“That’s my mom and me. She made quite an event out of my graduation.”  
It was her soft voice that made his head snap around. Felicity stood in the doorway, looking absolutely stunning. Her hair was a mess of loose waves and curls, falling over her shoulders and that gold shimmering dress. Her makeup was light, but the smokey eyes made her eyes pop out even more. She smelled incredible, even with a good 10 feet between them. The photo in front of him long forgotten he couldn’t help but gawk at her, probably more than appropriate. She was just too beautiful to look elsewhere.

It was her clearing her throat once that snapped him back to the present. He gulped and cast his gaze off her, focusing back on the photo in front of him. What had she just said? That woman was her mother? Well the hair color certainly fit. The rest, not so much.  
“She’s pretty.” It was the most polite thing he could come up with. Or probably the only thing to say at all without risking of making a total fool of himself.

“Yeah, never tell her that. She gets a little over-excited when a good looking man pays her a compliment.” Felicity added with a wave of her hand and a small eye roll while plopping her backside on the couch, all the while making sure her dress stayed in place.

_Did she just call you good looking? Yeah you’ve clearly imagined that._

As soon as her strappy heels were in place and the horn of a cab sounded outside he knew his time was up with her. She reluctantly got up from the couch and let him help her into her coat before he leashed up Lucky and put on his own coat. After a quick check of the contents of her clutch, she dimmed the light and locked the front door behind them. Oliver would have loved to stay holed up with her instead of having to leave again but he knew that his wishes were completely fruitless. She had a life, a life that existed well before she got to know him, and he certainly didn’t have any right to interfere with that.

A quick, fierce hug later, Felicity almost tiptoed over the sidewalk to the waiting cab.  
“See you later. I’ll be back home by 8pm latest.” she smiled at him and almost had the door closed when Oliver managed to call a bye and wish her a nice day.

 

Being alone had never bothered Oliver much, at least not with Lucky as company. But now being alone felt incredibly dull and boring. He’d grown used to spending time with Felicity so much lately that he was at a total loss at what to do now with all the free time.

The more time he spent with Lucky wandering around, the more thoughts started to worm their way into his mind. Everything he’d worked so hard for on the street completely broke off when it came to Felicity. The first months on the streets had taught him some harsh lessons in life, along with everything that happened before that. Depending on others could mean your demise, so was trusting others blindly. Relying on yourself was the first thing Old Louie had taught him. That, and how some herbs from all around the city would make a mean tea that could cure the toughest cold. God, how he missed Old Louie.

But thoughts of his old friend also reminded him of his place in life. This life, the one on the street, was the one he belonged to. Not the one where he slept in a comfortable four poster bed with unlimited access to a hot shower and a fresh pot of coffee every morning. While that felt amazing, it was still more of a vacation for him than a real living situation. In fact, he couldn’t be any farer from Felicity’s lifestyle.

The thoughts about their lives made him realize how big of a difference really was between her and his life. And it made him realize that he could never fit into her world, no matter how hard he tried. There were just too many demons keeping him away from living this ‘normal’ again.  
And all of a sudden, he felt a pang of regret letting Felicity help him so much. She was already going above and beyond with everything she had been doing for him, he really didn’t want to pile up on that with nothing to give back to her.  
Stray thoughts of walking away from her while he still had the chance to began to cloud into his brain. He could feel the intense attraction towards her and even got the vibe of her feeling the same way about him. Yet all this meant nothing with him being a homeless man with no chance of getting back into the real world any time soon.

The more time he spent thinking, the more he realized the sensible thing would be to walk far away from her. And despite all that, he found himself wandering back to her apartment hours later.

 

 

The afternoon had been dragging for Felicity. The moment she arrived at Palmer Tech, Ray immediately sought her out, barely giving her a time to step aside and breathe for a moment. Only Katie managed to pry her away from him one time, gushing over how good she looked, something that a few workmates also seemed to notice. And while she normally appreciated a good look, this time she couldn’t stand the open stares in her direction. More than once her thoughts drifted back to Oliver and the way his eyes went wide when he saw her in that dress for the first time. It was also the things he said to her, how he complimented her rather than her colleagues calling her ‘freakin hot’ while openly checking out her assets without a care in the world. It annoyed her to no end because it only further confirmed her general thoughts about the business world - guys never saw female colleagues for what they were... smart, intelligent females, rather than a hot piece of meat that could serve as arm candy at business meets.  
Coupled with her very clingy boss and a very tipsy Katie, Felicity didn’t have any intention to stay longer than she absolutely had to. Thank god they had the monday off, something that quite a few colleagues would definitely need, if their alcoholic states were any indication.

When she excused herself from a giggling Katie and bid her goodbyes to everyone, she was quite happy the hard liquor had made it impossible to most of her workmates to really register her early departure. After an excruciatingly long wait in the freezing snow for her cab she was happy to head back home, hoping Oliver would also show up soon.  
An idea struck her, and she directed the driver over to one of her favorite deli’s before taking her home. No christmas party could be as good as having dinner with Oliver in her living room.

 

With still an hour to spare until Oliver should be back, Felicity took her time to get out of the dress and change into something more comfortable. The food had been sitting in the oven, ready to be heated up as soon as Oliver and Lucky would be back. The thought of the little dog shot her to action, preparing a food and water bowl for him. She had grown fond of the little white dog with the floppy ears over the weeks and quite enjoyed seeing him taking up space in her home.

With the table set up and everything for the evening prepared, she had no idea what else to do.  
A quick change of fresh towels for herself and Oliver showed an impeccably clean room. It made Felicity stop for a moment to take in the scene in front of her. The towel he’d been using sat neatly folded on the foot of her bed, the sheets looked like no one had been sleeping in them at all and even the bathroom looked impeccably clean, probably more than it did before Oliver had been using it. And while she didn’t exactly think of him as a messy person, her heart warmed at the thoughtfulness of Oliver. Not even her friends had ever left this room so clean whenever they visited.

Back downstairs she found a few texts and two missed calls from her boss. So apparently her early departure hadn’t gone entirely unnoticed. And while normally she enjoyed these work related events since they meant she got a breathe of fresh air every now and then, today she couldn’t be happier to have sneaked out so early. Nothing could brighten up her mood and with the way Ray had been glued to her side all afternoon, demanding almost all her time, she soon started to get annoyed, too. So many good reasons to rather stay at home and spend some quality time with Oliver instead. Oliver who now was half an hour late, she noticed.  
A quick glance outside showed that it had started snowing again. Ever since moving to Starling City she wasn’t really used to these kinds of winter. In Vegas, a temperature drop below 40°F was considered a harsh winter and snow only made a very rare appearance, either. By now she had gotten used to the heavy rainfalls during autumn and the quite snowy winter months, but the amounts of snow that had been falling in the last week were definitely more than the years before. She just hoped Oliver was fine and didn’t get stuck somewhere in the city.

Almost another hour later, the small worry had turned into full concern. She thought about him running on her again for a moment, but since he’d promised her not to do it she disregarded that thought just as quickly. Right now she was more worried if something had happened to him.

Just when she was about to change into warm clothes to go looking for him, a soft knock came from her front door. Within two seconds flat she had the door wide open, seeing a snow covered Oliver with Lucky hidden inside his coat standing before her.  
“I’m sorry I’m late,” he apologized, more and more snow landing on his hood and backpack while he stood outside. “Lucky got fetched by animal control and I had to run through half the city to get him back.”

Her eyes went wide in shock at his words. She quickly stepped aside and motioned for them to come inside.  
“Is he alright?” she asked while Oliver took his coat and boots off, small piles of snow covering her entire hallway. Lucky scampered over inside the living room as soon as he’d been set to the floor, not looking the least bit shaken by any recent events.

“I think so,” he shrugged, his eyes focused on the dog that had started rubbing his back on her living room carpet with no care in the world. Oliver was about to scold the dog and tell him to stop, when Felicity’s amused chuckle made him look over to her. She seemed mildly amused and entertained by the dog’s antics and not one bit bothered by it. So Oliver kept his mouth shut.

“Get your stuff upstairs, I’m making dinner.” she called over her shoulder, much to Oliver’s amazement. He’d just thought about that exact situation a few hours ago; her casually offering him to stay and making dinner for them, even though he could never do anything in return. And in reality, he’d just wanted to come here and tell her he couldn’t spend any more time with her, no matter how wonderful and alluring the offer. He already felt guilty enough for everything he couldn’t pay her back and he definitely didn’t plan on adding to that pile. But then she’d pulled him inside and shooed him upstairs, smashing his well thought out plan of thanking her for everything she’d done and then move on. Now he found himself on the stairs to her guest room again while she prepared dinner downstairs. So much for things going to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise things are going to pick up speed in the next chapter (though I'm a sucker for a good slow burn :D ). A lot of good stuff going to happen! :)


	10. Chapter 10

Back downstairs the most divine smell of indian curry invaded Oliver’s nose. Felicity was rummaging around in the kitchen, pulling a large pan out of the oven. The dining table was all set already and even Lucky had his nose buried in his food bowl. It all seemed like Oliver belonged nowhere else but here, and yet he still didn’t feel comfortable fitting in so easily. Especially not with what he could offer back, which - except from a few handy jobs here and there in the house - was pretty much nothing. Back outside he’d thought about offering her to pay rent for the guest room, but that actually would have required him finding another job. And with the weather forecast for the next week, there was literally zero chances of someone looking for day laborers. The very small money he earned in spare change barely covered his and Lucky’s food to survive, not that he could ever make enough spare change to afford a room in the first place. No matter how he twisted and turned it, he couldn’t come up with a plan how to make things work and it frustrated him to no end.

“Earth to Oliver.” Felicity smiled with the pan in her hand, two bright pink oven mitts covering her hands. It looked ridiculously cute, even though she just caught him daydreaming in the middle of her living room. With a motion to have a seat, she placed the pan on the table between them and sat down. Where she had a glass of wine, a water bottle stood right next to his plate. It was just another thing about her that he liked so much. She paid attention, memorized things, no matter how stupid they might sound. He hadn’t given her a real reason why he didn’t drink other than that lame explanation of a ‘bad memory’, and yet she had accepted it and moved on, but still remembered to put a water bottle in his place.

 

They ate mostly in silence, even though Oliver struggled to hold back the moans at the delicious food. It tasted just perfect.  
“Did you make that?” he asked over a forkful of rice and chicken curry, motioning to the plate in front of him. He couldn’t really remember the last time he’d eaten something so delicious.

“God, no,” she wiped her mouth with the napkin and laughed, as if his words were the most ridiculous thing ever. “I can’t cook to save my life. It’s from Bombay’s, that small indian restaurant near the mall. I love that place, and the food.” she smiled.

Oliver took a small slice of chicken from the plate to let it cool down and then offered it to Lucky, who had emptied his bowl by now and sat patiently between the two, watching and waiting. The dog eyed the offered piece of meat for a moment but quickly turned his head to look at Felicity, who couldn’t hold back the chuckle.

“Traitor,” Oliver murmured and ate the chicken himself, making Felicity laugh even harder. He realized once again how much he liked to hear her laugh. It sounded so natural and carefree and not at all like the fake laughs he was used to hear from businesswomen in her line of work. Or from any of the people he once knew in general.

Felicity took another sip of her wine, cast a quick glance over her shoulder to the kitchen and turned her attention back to Oliver and Lucky.  
“I’m sure he’s stuffed, I already fed him a huge bowl of food. I hope that was alright?”

 _Of course it is. It makes you even more wonderful than you already are, not only taking care of me, but of my only friend in the world as well._  
Oliver nodded, thankful that Felicity was taking care of his best friend. Many times he’d skipped a meal so Lucky would have some food in its belly and more often than not he’d bought dog food rather than something for himself with the spare money he made on the street. The times in the last twelve months where both he and Lucky could fall asleep on a full belly that didn’t involve Felicity were actually so rare he could easily count them on two fingers.

“How was your party?”  
He tried to sound casual, even though there were a ton of things he wanted to ask. By now he still had no idea where she worked, other than that she had some higher position at one of Starling’s largest companies. That alone should have had him running weeks ago, but for once in his life he chose not to care, or to let his demons haunt him. Plus, Felicity didn’t seem to recognize him in any way, so he decided not to worry about that too much.

“It was alright.”

The small shrug and forced smile told him otherwise. He may have been a little out of reading people lately, but her whole posture definitely didn’t say ‘alright’ to him. But like she was respecting all his secrets, he was going to do so with hers, too, and didn’t press the issue.  
“I’m sure you were the most beautiful woman at the entire party.”  
Where that suddenly had come from, he had no idea, but it was the truth, so he didn’t say anything further about it.

Felicity laughed ironically into her plate, her eyes not even going up to face him.  
“Yeah, more like ‘hot as fuck’ and a ‘pretty fuckable piece of meat’.” she murmured, probably more to herself than to him, but he still heard it clear as day.  
And it made him mad. Incredibly mad.  
He knew these kind of comments all too well, not because he’d once used them, too, but because he’d heard enough employees say them. And while back then he kept himself out of it as long as no form of assault or harassment would stem from it, now he wanted nothing more to bash these idiots’ skulls for calling Felicity like that. Especially since she looked absolutely beautiful tonight.

“For what it’s worth,” he spoke with a soft voice and gently placed his hand over hers. Her eyes snapped up the second their hands touched and after a quick look towards their palms on the table, she looked him straight in the eyes with disbelief. “I think you looked fantastic and everyone that made a lewd comment is just an unappreciative idiot.” He could see the emotions play across her face, her eyes wide in shock at his words and he loved that he could pull all these emotions from her.

The timbre of his voice, coupled with the heat radiating from his large palm over hers and the way his blue eyes bore into hers did funny things to her heart. And her libido, for that matter. She inhaled sharply but simply couldn’t look away from him. He mesmerized her, not only with his words, but with the way he looked at her as well. Her cheeks grew hot the longer he kept his eyes on her and his palm over hers, his thumb making the tiniest of movements over her palm. She had no idea if he was aware he was doing it, but she very much was. Every swipe felt like electricity zapping up her arm, firing up her already racing heart. She couldn’t remember ever feeling so - flustered. Especially not from a look and simple touch of her hand.  
_‘Imagine what would happen if he touched you in other places…’_

She cleared her throat and pulled her palm away from under his, this time a genuine smile covering her lips. With just a few sentences he made her forget the not so pleasant afternoon at work.  
“Want to go another round at Scrabble later?” Even if it was a lame attempt at changing the topic, Oliver didn’t seem to mind. He smiled and nodded, leaving them to finish their food so they could move on to the living room for another evening full of board game fun.

It had taken her a lot of convincing at first, but in the end she managed to make him eat the leftovers, too. He kept protesting, telling her he was stuffed already, but then her comment about him needing more strength to make it through the cold winter days won him over. There was nothing he could say against that.

 

She was busy rinsing off the plates when she suddenly felt Oliver’s presence behind her. Her fingers stilled as soon as she saw him placing her empty wine glass right next to her on the counter. Even though she badly wanted to turn around, her feet had been rooted to the spot, her heart rate picking up. She slowly turned her head and looked over her shoulder, her hands fisting the dishtowel in a death grip. Oliver stood rooted behind her, unmoving, his intense eyes fixed on her. He could feel the tension, too. She saw it in his eyes.

Willing her feet to turn around she looked up at him, their faces ending up mere inches apart. She expected him to, but Oliver didn’t step back to give her room. If anything it felt as if he moved even closer to her.  
His warm breath on her face made her blood pump faster while she could do nothing but hold her own. Up so close he looked even more delectable, his strong jaw and the intense look in his eyes making her heart beat violently.

When her tongue darted out, wetting her lower lip, his eyes went down to her mouth for a second, watching the movement before it wandered back up. His pupils were dilated, turning his sky blue eyes almost black with desire.  
He took a tiny step closer to her, making her inhale sharply as soon as their bodies touched. The way he towered over her by at least 7 inches made her crane her neck to look at him. She saw pure desire in his near black eyes, but also a little wariness. And with that she knew he wouldn’t make the first move.

That’s when everything snapped within her. Rising on her tiptoes as high as she could, her lips crashed onto his, tentative at first, but as soon as she felt him responding she grew bolder. His hands immediately circled her waist, the dishtowel in her hand falling to the ground long forgotten. And even though his touch was feather light, she felt nothing but burning desire everywhere his hands came in contact with her.  
Oliver stepped even closer to her, removing any physical barrier that had been left between them, pressing her butt into the kitchen counter. Her hands flew around his neck and while she let her tongue explore his. Oliver let out a soft moan at her gentle caress of the hair at his neck.

With their bodies pressed together, Oliver kept the kiss easy yet demanding, almost sensual. Much to her surprise, he didn’t rush things. He didn’t push or demand more than she was willing to give him freely. And even though she suddenly wanted to do a ton more things than just kissing in her kitchen, she felt too chicken to push things further.  
And oh how she wanted to do more. She wanted to trail her hands all over his body, memorizing every part of him with her fingers.

“Felicity,” he whispered on a growl and gently took her lower lip between his teeth. It didn’t hurt but made her moan with excitement. He immediately soothed the bite with his tongue, his hands snaking around to cup her butt. Her hands pressed into his shoulders, holding onto them for dear life in a moment that quickly got out of hand. Tearing her mouth from his, she arched her back and pulled in deep breaths of air, filling her empty lungs.

Oliver,” she whimpered, hoping he would never stop his movements, but as soon as she spoke his name, the heated bubble between them seemed but burst. He immediately loosened the grip on her butt and took a step back from her, as far as the small confines of her kitchen would allow. His breath came as hard as hers, his lips parted while he stared down at her.

“I’m sorry.”  
His voice was a rough growl in her ears. She didn’t want him to stop, couldn’t find one reason why they should. Neither did Oliver, but yet he stepped further away from her, putting more space between them than she wanted.

“W - why?” she asked, her voice hoarse. Her lips felt bruised and on fire, probably from his rough stubble that felt so good on her skin.

“Because I shouldn’t take advantage of you like that.”

All the lingering heat between them vanished the moment he spoke these words. He avoided her gaze and looked down at his feet, almost as if he regretted what just happened. She cleared her throat and tried to find anything to do, anything to distract her from the temptation that was Oliver just a few inches away from her. Nothing seemed to work though, and when he finally left the kitchen she let out a breath she had been holding ever since his lips left hers.  
Part of her feared that he might run the first chance he got. His whole demeanor told her that much. But, much to her surprise, he headed over to the couch rather than the front door.

It took her a long moment to compose herself after that. Her lips felt tingly and wonderfully bruised, her hands gripped the dishtowel with more force than necessary. She stood there, unmoving, her eyes facing the sink while she tried to understand what had just happened.  
That was probably the most incredible kiss she’d ever received. She’d never been so nervous, so full of desire than she was when Oliver closed the distance between them and stared down at her lips. He tasted so divine, so intoxicating, that she never wanted to stop. But then he did, ending the moment between them all too soon.

 

She returned into the living room minutes later after downing a glass of wine in the kitchen to steel her nerves. Oliver sat on the ground beside Lucky and it seemed as if he tried to avoid noticing her in the room. He kept rubbing the dog’s ears, murmuring something to him she couldn’t hear. But then she sat down and his gaze actually met hers. And what she saw made her frown. He looked apprehensive all of a sudden, almost as if he was sorry for what had happened between them. And that wasn’t something she could let sit between them unsaid.

“Oliver,” she began softly, and his eyes instantly snapped up to hers. He looked as if he was expecting to be kicked and sent away. “Do you regret it?”

He immediately shook his head no, making her breathe in relief. She had no idea what to do or say if he had confirmed her worries.

“Then please stop looking like you did. Alright? Because neither did I.”

The smile that she sent him while she spoke slowly washed away the apprehension off his face. When he’d stepped back from her and left the kitchen, he wanted nothing but slap himself for his stupid behavior, for letting his lust act over being responsible. He had done exactly what he didn’t want to but as soon as her lips touched his, he couldn’t seem to stop. Never before had he felt so fired up from just a kiss, from just the faintest touch of her lips on his. He couldn’t even remember the last time a kiss had done so much in his body, not that he’d kissed anyone in the last 4 years, anyway. But of course he had to do that with Felicity and complicate things. Everything would have stayed perfectly fine if he hadn’t kissed her.

She hadn’t come out of the kitchen for a long time after he left. And while part of his brain screamed at him to just grab his stuff and leave before he made things even worse between them, he couldn’t get his body to do just that.  
Then she emerged back from the kitchen and smiled brightly at him, just like she did half an hour ago, before he practically attacked her and kissed her senseless.  
And even though the air felt a little weird between them, she didn’t seem to want to discuss the kiss any further, something that made Oliver breathe a sigh of relief. Maybe he hadn’t messed things up beyond repair between them yet.

 

Through several rounds of Scrabble, in which for some reason she actually managed to win a few times, they even talked for a bit, though mostly casual stuff. Neither of them mentioned the kiss again, though.

Even though she had taken him in and opened her house to Lucky and him, for some reason her home still didn’t tell him anything about her; her personality. There were only very few photos on her walls or books on any shelves that could’ve given him an idea what kind of person Felicity was, other than the things he already knew about her.

But with just a few questions he actually found out that she was a single child from Vegas, and impressed him to no end by revealing that she graduated from MIT and got job offers right away from several big companies all around the west coast. Since Palmer Tech made the best offer and seemed like the most interesting job, she ended up moving here a little over two years ago. Aside from her neighbors, a few work colleagues and a good friend over in Central City she mostly kept to herself, spending most of her time at the job, anyway, even though yoga seemed to be a passion of hers, too.  
The more he heard about her, the more she impressed the hell out of him. He already knew where she worked but that she was basically head assistant of the boss definitely was news to him. And even though he sat a little straighter when she mentioned working for Palmer Tech, a company that Oliver knew all too well from his life before, he didn’t freak out about that connection. Felicity was all that was important to him, not the company she worked for.

 

Felicity kept patiently answering every question he asked her. She asked a few things herself but it didn’t slip Oliver’s attention that she made sure to keep all her questions perfunctory. On top of that, she also acted as if the kiss hadn’t happened. He had no idea what to make of it other than that she regretted it, even though she’d told him she didn’t just an hour ago.  
But he really couldn’t blame her. She may have been the one instigating it, but he should have never let himself go like that and pull her into it like he did. No matter how incredible she felt and how intoxicating and soft her lips were, there was no way they would - could - do that again.

 

When they went to bed that night, he felt more relaxed and content than he had in months. The knowledge of having a roof over his head for the night, even despite little ‘situation’ that almost ruined everything between them, took a lot of weight off his shoulders. He knew that this was by no means a permanent situation and that he sooner than later would’ve go back to facing life on his own, but for the night, he was going to accept everything Felicity had offered him for what it was; a safe, warm and comfortable place for the night for him and Lucky and the companionship of one kind-hearted beauty. Life could’ve been a lot worse for him lately.

 

The next morning started just like the one before. Oliver was up way before her and the creaking of her hardwood floors while he walked through her apartment confused her at first, but as soon as she heart the telltale patter of Lucky’s feet on the floor, she relaxed back into the sheets and gave herself some more minutes of blissful slumber. She had no idea how much later she woke up again, but the delicious smell of coffee pulled her out of bed. Dressed in her fluffy robe she padded downstairs on bare feet, strategically avoiding the creaking last step of her stairs so she wouldn’t alert Oliver of her presence just yet, giving her a few moments of watching him without his knowledge.  
Peeking around the corner into her living room, she could see the back half of Lucky coming out of her kitchen, his tail excitedly waggling while Oliver murmured something to him. Most of his body was hidden behind the pillar though, but looking over the counter she could see that he had been preparing coffee and apparently water for Lucky, as well.  
She quickly turned away when he came out of the kitchen and sat down in front of her fireplace that, now that she actually paid attention to her surroundings, also was lit already. How long had he been awake?

She could hear the squeak of her leather couch, closely followed by Lucky pattering through the room. When it grew silent again, she risked another glance around the corner. Oliver sat on the far end of her couch, his eyes cast outside into her backyard. He looked deep in thought, but all Felicity could notice was how tight the t-shirt she had given him fit around his chest. Cooper had never been an overly muscular guy, but was fit nonetheless. Seeing that Oliver could barely fit his arms and chest into the shirt of her ex-boyfriend made her heart beat a little faster. So much of him had been hidden under his layers upon layers of clothing whenever she saw him, she had no idea how he actually looked under all that. The one time she took off his soaked clothes when he passed out on her with the fever didn’t give her time to fully check him out. Back then she had more urgent matters to attend to, like making sure Oliver stayed alive. But now, seeing him almost fully relaxed on her couch... yeah, she couldn’t help but ogle him for a while.

But then Lucky looked up at her and revealed her hiding place. Oliver’s eyes followed his dog’s movement and when he saw Felicity walking around the corner, dressed in her pastel pink robe, he instantly sat straighter on the couch.  
“Good morning.”  
His voice still sounded a little gruff and sleep-ridden and so damn delicious.

“Morning.” she smiled back but under his watchful eyes she suddenly started to feel a little nervous in her own home.

Oliver seemed to sense that, too, and quickly jumped up from the couch, surprising both her and Lucky.  
“I made you coffee.”

With a few hurried strides he entered the kitchen, grabbed her favorite mug, added the perfect amount of sugar and creamer and quickly returned back into the living room, handing her the steaming mug.

They both sat down on the couch and while Felicity took her time to enjoy the first sips of coffee, Oliver looked a little uncomfortable. It was so stark different to the relaxed state she had seen him in just minutes before, when he wasn’t aware that she was around, making her wonder if maybe he was uncomfortable with her presence. Or maybe it was still the aftermath of their kiss. Either way, she wanted to change that.  
“So, did you two sleep well? It can get pretty cold in there, once the fire dies down here.” she spoke with a soft voice, her eyes warm but watchful.

“I slept great, thank you. And it was the first time I could hear Lucky snore, so I’m pretty sure he did, too.” Oliver replied with a small smile.

She couldn’t help but laugh out loud at his words.  
“That little man snores? Somehow I highly doubt that. Maybe you heard yourself.”

“I don’t snore.” he laughed, the small dimple in his cheek making her grin. Whenever she saw it, she knew Oliver gave her a heartfelt, honest smile, something she appreciated very much. Besides that, it also looked stinkin’ cute on him.

“Yeah right,” she snorted. “All men snore. The only difference is the decibel level in which you do it.”

 _Spend a night with me and I’ll show you._  
Right, as if she would ever do that after him running on her after that kiss the night before.

Thankfully, her stomach broke the uneasy silence that had fallen between them. With pink cheeks, she got up from the couch and made her way over to the kitchen. Oliver stayed put, still too nervous to get so close to her again. In no way he wanted to scare her off completely if she suddenly decided she couldn’t have him around any longer.  
Minutes later she came out and began setting up the table.  
“Has Lucky already had breakfast?”

Oliver shook his head no. Right after his morning routine in the garden, the dog had looked up at him with expectant eyes but Oliver had no idea what to feed him. He had nothing left in his backpack and sniffing through Felicity’s cupboards wasn’t an option. He knew she had dog food stored somewhere but he was already so grateful she let him roam around her apartment as it was, there was no way he’d risk her catching him ‘snooping’ around for food, even if it was only for his dog.

With a small nod, she turned back to the kitchen again. The sound of a metal bowl being filled made Lucky get up and race through the apartment in 2 seconds flat. After that, he could only hear the sounds of the metal bowl scraping over her granite floors and her soft laughter.

He felt like an idiot sitting on her couch while she rummaged around in the kitchen, obviously preparing breakfast for them after feeding his dog, both tasks that he should be doing. She had given him a roof for multiple nights already, so preparing breakfast was the least he could do.  
“Can I help you?”

His voice coming from behind her made her gasp in surprise. A quick look over her shoulder showed Oliver standing in the kitchen door, looking around for something to do. As soon as her heartbeat calmed down a little, she motioned for bacon and the pan behind her.  
“You know how to get bacon super crispy?”

Oliver nodded and immediately got to work on her stove.

The more they worked in silence together, the more Oliver relaxed again. Even though he was almost back to back with her, in the kitchen at that, she didn’t seem fazed by him or what had happened the night before. It took an immense weight off his shoulders.

 

They ate together, discussing what they could do on her day off. Since it had stopped snowing and the sun actually made an appearance, Felicity offered to take Lucky for a walk and explore the near parks for a bit. She needed to shop some groceries, too, and with Oliver able to help her carry the stuff back home, it actually sounded like a solid plan.

But the more she animately explained the day she had planned out, the more Oliver closed off.  
“I have somewhere to go today.” was the only, sparse explanation he gave her after telling he couldn’t come with her.

It made Felicity frown. He looked so shut off, so lost in his head all of a sudden that she had no idea if she might have caused it with her overly excited planning for the day. But since he’d told her there weren’t any dayjobs available on the market right now anyway, she guessed he didn’t have any other commitments to attend to. At least he hadn’t ever acted as if he did nor did he ever mentioned any. But maybe she’d been wrong.

“Oh. Okay.” It took her a lot of strength to keep the frown off her face, but she didn't want to rack up any guilt in Oliver.  
She looked down onto her empty breakfast plate for a moment, contemplating what to say next since Oliver obviously had no intentions to speak.  
“Will you be back later? For dinner, maybe?” she asked, hoping not to sound desperate, even though she really hoped he’d be back.

Oliver nodded once, but the mood between them was definitely ruined for now. Felicity had no idea what else to say, so she got up from the table and went on clearing up their breakfast plates. She also did it to put some distance between them and give Oliver a moment for himself since he obviously needed that.

She heard him getting upstairs shortly after without another word. His behavior partly worried her because he’d never been like that with her before, but the bigger part of her was just curious what might have been the cause.  
Minutes later he returned back downstairs, fully dressed in his usual clothes. The smile he sent her when she looked up was weak and hollow, but she was grateful he acknowledged her at all.

Lucky immediately jumped off Felicity’s lap and trotted over to him when Oliver called out his name, leaving her feeling cold and empty all of a sudden. Just when he put on his winter coat and had the leash firmly secured on Lucky’s collar, she got up from the couch and faced him.  
“So I guess I’ll see you later?” she tried once more because even though Oliver had already confirmed he’d be back, his whole demeanor screamed otherwise. And for some strange reason she’d grown so comfortable with having him and Lucky around in her place that she didn’t want to think about sleeping a night without him, not knowing if he was safe.

Oliver nodded and gave her another weak smile, one that didn’t show his dimple, and then he was out of the front door. It also didn’t miss her attention that he’d taken his backpack with him.

 

For almost an hour, Felicity felt restless but didn’t get up from the couch other than to pour herself another cup of coffee. The soothing sounds from the fireplace did nothing to calm her racing thoughts. So many things whirled through her head and, like so often lately, all of them were about Oliver.  
She didn’t worry that he wouldn’t be back - they were already past that and he’d proven her he was a man of his word. Now if she could figure out what had him so closed off all morning.

With her laundry done, both bedrooms cleaned up - even though Oliver once again left his room absolutely spotless - she realized just an hour had passed since Oliver left. So she changed into some jeans and a sweater, wrapped her hair in a ponytail and made her way over to the grocery store, deciding to waste some time stocking up on wine and bath bombs.  
A quick stop at the clothing department made her halt and check out the men’s section. With the way she had layered up her clothing before leaving the house, she could only imagine Oliver must be freezing his ass off outside. That’s when she spotted a rack full of thermal shirts. Remembering Cooper’s size, she made sure to pick stuff at least one size taller and loaded her cart with a thermal shirt, some sweatpants, a t-shirt and another hoodie for whenever it got a little chilly around her apartment. The silly girl in her badly wanted to pick the black pants with cupcakes on it, but she really didn’t want to torture Oliver like that, even though it would probably made have quite a sight.

The sun had already set when Felicity arrived back home. When she realized she had spent almost 3 hours shopping, she worried if Oliver had maybe turned up at her place to find her gone. But as soon as she rounded the corner to her street and find the steps to her apartment void of Oliver and Lucky, her excitement instantly dimmed. He was still gone, which meant he’d been away for more than 5 hours now and with temperatures already dropping significantly for the night, she hoped he’d be back any time soon.

 

She took her time storing away all the groceries, placed Oliver’s new clothes on his bed and even pulled the lasagna out of the freezer so it’d be done quickly as soon as Oliver returned back home.

Home.

For some reason she already deemed her place ‘home’ for him, even though he’d just spent a few nights here and they still barely knew each other. If anything, his sudden closed off behavior from earlier had shown her that.  
But still there was something about him that gave her a sense of peace, a sense of closeness towards him that she never felt before. And Oliver’s current living situations pulled some protective side out of her, even though the man was almost twice her size and easily towered over her by several inches. She just wanted to help him while also getting to know him better. But in order for her to do so, he needed to actually come back home first, though.

 

It was completely dark outside when a knock on her front door made Felicity jump out of her seat. She barely managed to catch her tablet before it scuttered to the ground when she sped through the hallway and pulled open her door with more force than necessary. She didn’t even bother checking the peephole. Other than Oliver or her neighbor John, no one would bother to knock at her front door at this time of day. And if someone really wanted to rob her, they could very well do that without knocking.  
But when she opened the front door and looked into the face of the man that robbed her of every clear thought lately, her breath stuttered for a moment.

His hands and clothes were filthy and dirty, his skin pale and lips blue from the cold - but it was the look in his eyes that completely undid her. He looked so hollow, so empty of any emotion that she wondered if the man standing in front of her really was the Oliver who left her hours ago.  
Reaching out to him tentatively since he made no move to come in, she grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. As soon as the door closed behind them, his attention seem to focus back on his surroundings bit by bit. He took off his shoes and coat, unbuckled Lucky and turned his attention to Felicity once he was done. He looked so lost for a moment that she wanted to do nothing more and hug him, but chose a different tactic.

With a small smile on her lips she ushered him upstairs.  
“Go on, have a bath and warm up a little. You have 30 minutes. We’re having lasagna.” she told him and took a step back to give him space. When he grabbed the backpack and headed upstairs, she noticed the dark smudges of dirt on his hands and under his nails. It made her wonder what he’d been doing, especially with the ground frozen and snow covered for weeks now. He hadn’t told her about a job or anything like that and she badly wanted to ask him about it, but with the way he’d been acting all day she was glad he at least made it back home in one piece.

 

The table was already set when Oliver returned back in the living room a good 20 minutes later. Lucky was already passed out in front of the fireplace. Not that he could blame his little friend. Poor guy had been freezing all day in the snow. Oliver felt so bad that he even wrapped him up in two of his shirts so the dog wouldn’t freeze his belly off while waiting in the snow for his owner.

“Warmed up a little?”  
It was her heavenly soft voice that snapped his attention back towards the present. Felicity stood in the doorway from the kitchen holding a casserole between two pink oven mitts. It looked so perfectly sweet, so domestic, that for a moment he could actually forget the mentally and physically exhausting day he’d had. She accepted him without question, opened her home to him without second thought, and he was so damn grateful for that. Because for once it actually felt like having a real, true friend in his life, despite the few little things they just knew about each other and despite the kiss that made him fear he’d almost ruined everything between them.

He nodded, even smiled a little. They both took a seat at the table and after Felicity had served them both a plate, they began eating in companionable silence.  
“I’m glad the clothes fit you.” she said over a forkful of lasagna, making him halt his movements and look down at himself for a moment. Until then he’d assumed they were just more of her ex-boyfriend’s clothes, even though they looked newer and a little larger than the stuff she’d given him two days before.  
“I was a little unsure which size to pick, but it seems the stuff fits you just right.”

“You bought these for me?”

He looked so surprised and stunned that she couldn’t help but laugh softly.  
“Yeah well I didn’t exactly bought them for myself and I’m sure they’re a tad too large for Lucky, so… of course I these are for you, silly! And consider yourself lucky! I restrained myself and didn’t go for the fancy cupcake printed lounge pants. Even though that would’ve made a sight I’m sure.” she snickered.

And just with that, all tension and bad mood had been lifted from him. He looked down at the black sweatpants he was wearing while her words rang in his ears. Cupcake printed pants would’ve looked ridiculous on him, of that he was sure, but it still would have been 100% Felicity.  
The thought of him wearing such ridiculous pants and seeing her laughing so freely at her own joke made him wish she’d gotten them, just so he could see her laugh more because of it.

“Oh, I also bought you a new toothbrush. The poor thing you had sitting at the sink didn’t even classify as one any longer and definitely deserved retirement. Also, your new one is blue. And before you ask, yes, mine is pink. I’m a girl who enjoys stereotypes. Don’t judge me.” she grinned, making him snort in amusement. Yes, actually snort. He couldn’t even remember the last time he did that.

 

With just some few sentences she managed to completely turn his mood around, helping him forget the terrible day he’d just had. And for that, he was incredibly thankful. Not even Old Louie had been able to lift his mood back then, even though the old grumpy man probably was the closest to a best friend he’d ever had. Not that he put Felicity in the same category. Heck no, the feelings she pulled out of him damn sure didn’t fit for a ‘good friend’. Besides, he was pretty sure best friends didn’t suck each others faces off in the kitchen. And if they did, they sure as hell didn’t want to repeat it. Which Oliver did, badly so. But that would threaten their friendship once again and he definitely wasn’t going to ruin that.

 

With the eventful day Oliver had, they both decided to call it a night after playing with Lucky in the living room for an hour. The squeaky toy Felicity had gotten him made the little dog more excited than Oliver had ever seen him before. And even though the toy could be thrown just a few feet through the room, Lucky returned it over and over, demanding it to be thrown again for a solid 30 minutes before he passed out in front of the fireplace. So much, that Oliver actually had to carry him upstairs, much to Felicity’s amusement.  
“I have to leave for work at 7.30 tomorrow morning. Will that be okay for you?” she asked him just before she reached the door to her bedroom.

“Of course,” he quickly nodded. He was used to getting up bright and early and being in the city before 8am meant he could maybe secure a good spot for him and Lucky for the day.

She was about to close the door behind her when she stopped once again and turned towards him.  
“Oliver? Do you think you can tell me about your day? Some time in the future, I mean?”

He thought about her question for a moment and even though he wanted to tell her about his day the entire time, share some of his secrets with her, it was still too early for that. Not even Old Louie knew where he headed every first sunday of the month, only that it took him several hours to return back home and that his mood was ruined every time he returned back home.  
But with Felicity, for the first time ever, it felt like he’d be able to share some of his secrets. Just not now, not so soon.

He gulped and nodded once, nervous if she would press the issue further. Much to his surprise, his curt answer seemed to be enough for her.  
With a warm smile on her lips she wished him a good night and softly closed the door behind her, leaving Oliver alone with his many, many thoughts running through his head.

The way her eyes had lingered on him, coupled with her sweet smile, completely enthralled him.  
_You’re acting like a lovesick teenager. Go knock on her damn door and offer to help her warm her sheets, just like old Ollie would’ve done._  
Yeah, except old Ollie was gone for years now and Felicity was worth so much more than such a dick move.

Oliver shook himself out of his thoughts and placed Lucky under the sheets before disappearing into the bathroom. When he spotted the brand new blue toothbrush on the counter, a small smile crept up his lips. In just the few weeks since they met, she had already done so much more for him than any person ever before. And not just the fact that she bought him new clothes and toiletries or offered him and Lucky a warm place to stay. It was the fact that she accepted him for all he was, even knowing he had secrets and probably wanting to ask him a hundred questions, yet she didn’t and respected that he’d need time for that.  
And still he had no idea how he could deserve such a friend or how to ever return all the favors she’d done for him. It pained him that he couldn’t come up with anything, no matter how much he thought about it. He hated being dependant on anyone, yet accepting Felicity’s help felt like so much more than just dependance. She made him want to be with her, wanting to protect her and make her laugh as often as he could. And since he couldn’t do much more than that to repay her kindness, he made it his plan to brighten up her life as much as possible. With a smile on his lips he pulled Lucky closer into his body and drifted off to sleep, his last thought of the blonde beauty sleeping at the end of the hallway.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the kudos and comments on this story, it's always so fun to read all your comments! :)
> 
> Things are happening in this chapter. And to everyone commenting on Felicity letting Oliver stay with her... **patience yo must have, my young padawan.** :D
> 
> And to anyone wondering how Lucky looks like:  
> 

When the alarm of her clock pulled her out of her sleep, Felicity wanted to throw the damn thing on the wall, just like every morning. Yeah, she definitely wasn’t a morning person. But then the smell of freshly made coffee wafted through the house, making her eyes shoot open.  
Was Oliver already up? Or was she still dreaming?

A quick shower helped waking her up properly. When she padded through the hallway, she noticed the door to Oliver’s room slightly ajar. So he was already up and probably the source behind the delicious smell coming from downstairs.  
Normally she would walk downstairs in her robe, hair wrapped in a towel, but for some reason she now felt a little nervous to face Oliver like that. So she turned on her heel, sprinted back into her room and decided to mess up her rigorous morning plans a little by getting dressed before having her coffee.  
It took her barely 20 minutes to dress, blow dry her hair and apply her usual makeup - which, for the record, was pretty much record time given the fact that she hadn’t had her caffeine fix yet.

 

Lucky was the first who spotted her when she came downstairs. He immediately jumped off the couch, squeaky toy in his mouth, and excitedly danced around her.  
“Good morning, little man.” Felicity chuckled and gave the dog a soft pat.

Oliver stood in the door to the kitchen, watching her.  
“Good morning.” After clearing his throat, he added, “You look beautiful.”  
And she did. The tight grey dress with black and pink highlights hugged her every curve, her blonde hair straightened and freely falling over her shoulders. She looked every bit the professional business beauty and for a moment, Oliver imagined her sitting in her office behind her desk. Back then he definitely wouldn’t have minded having an assistant that was so smart, dedicated and beautiful.

A small blush crept up her cheeks before she made her way over to the kitchen island.  
“Please tell me you’re responsible for the incredible smell wafting through the house.”

Oliver whirled around and stopped next to the coffee maker.  
“Yeah, I already made coffee for you. I hope that was alright?” he offered her the mug she used every day and Felicity took a small sip, closed her eyes and groaned at the taste. Perfect.

“I might have to keep you as my personal coffee making assistant.” she mumbled over the rim of her mug, a small smile playing on her lips. No, she definitely wouldn’t mind keeping him around at all times.

 

20 minutes later, they were both ready to face the day. Oliver had Lucky leashed up and shouldered his backpack while Felicity pulled on her winter boots, storing away the heels in her bag. No need to ruin her precious heels and break a leg trying to walk on the icy roads in them.  
“So what have you planned for the day?”

Oliver shrugged slightly.  
“Not much. Given the weather I doubt there will be anyone looking for day laborers today, so I’ll probably spend some time at the subway, if there are any free spots left. I don’t really want to expose Lucky to the freezing wind all day.”

“But you will be alright, yeah?”

The concern in her voice warmed his heart. Ever since Old Louie died, no one had given a shit about his safety. One less man on the street increased the chance of securing a spot for both day and night for all the other homeless people. Road laws 101.  
He nodded and took Lucky in his arms when the entered the subway together. He felt refreshed and relaxed more than he’d felt in weeks and for a moment, it actually felt like a normal day heading to work together with Felicity. Only that it wasn’t, because even though she had a job, he didn’t have anything aside from the hope to secure a warm and dry spot for the day. The realization instantly wiped the smile off his face.

The squeaking of the subway brakes ended the joyful morning for him. Back to what had become his life for the past 4 years. At least the spot at the subway station was still unoccupied.

Felicity followed him and patiently waited while he put down his heavy backpack and leaned it against the pillow. For some reason she didn’t look happy, but didn’t say anything about it.  
“Want to meet for lunch?” she asked but quickly shook her head a second later. “Ugh, actually, I can’t today... I have another meeting to endure. What about dinner later, at my place?”

It sounded awfully much like a date for a second, making Felicity cringe internally. When she was about to rephrase her question, Oliver smiled a small smile and nodded his head.

“Perfect. I should be back home by 5pm. Meet me there?”

How in the world could he say no to eyes looking at him so hopeful and expectantly?  
Exactly. He couldn’t. And he didn’t want to. In fact, he looked forward to spending another evening with her.

 

Felicity was exhausted as hell when she arrived back home shortly after 5pm. Her feet were sore, her back aching from running around almost the entire day and a small headache started to form in her head. She couldn’t wait to kick off her heels and plop onto her couch with a good glass of wine and do exactly nothing for the rest of the night.  
Only the thought of seeing Oliver again kept her up and moving. With dinner in hand she rounded the corner to see him already sitting on the stairs to her apartment with Lucky in his lap. He got back up on his feet and set the dog back down as soon as he saw her approaching. The way the little dog excitedly jumped around her made her smile, but it was the sight of Oliver standing at the top of the stairs that stunned her for a moment. He smiled down at her, one of his rare, real smiles with a hint of a blush covering his cheeks. If asked he’d probably blame it on the cold weather but Felicity knew better. She knew better because she was sure she looked the same when looking at him most of the day.  
Felicity closed the distance between them with Lucky hot on her heels.

And then Oliver pulled a single pink rose out of his coat and held it in front of him.

The gesture was so sweet and unexpected, Felicity had no idea what to say or do next.  
When he offered the flower to her, she looked down at it before staring right back into his sky blue eyes.  
“For me?”

He nodded and watched her slowly reach out to grab the flower. The way she smelled it once completely enthralled him, making him very thankful for the nice lady at the flower shop who had given him the rose earlier.

  
\-------------------------------  
After spending a few hours at the subway, Lucky demanded to be walked, so he found himself wandering through the streets of Starling City. When he ended up in front of a small flower shop, the desire to buy a bouquet for Felicity became almost too much, not that he could afford to pay for that, anyway. Even after digging through his pockets he came up with less than 2$ in change money. The shop owner found him staring down at her roses and without missing a beat, pulled a single pink rose out of the vase and handed it to him with the words  
‘Pink roses represent appreciation. I’m sure that special person in your heart will appreciate a flower during the holidays.’  
How the woman came to that conclusion, Oliver definitely had no idea. Sure, he’d been staring down at the flowers for longer than he was comfortable to admit, but he was sure that the look on his face didn’t give anything away. At least not until the elderly woman spoke up. Either way, he was thankful for the gift because it meant he could give it to Felicity and hopefully put a smile on her face.  
\-------------------------------

  
She was still busy smelling the rose, so Oliver took the keys out of her hand and opened the front door for her. The flower immediately went into a delicate crystal vase and had been put on the living room table and even though he could hear her stomach grumbling, Felicity didn’t rush her movements until she was satisfied with the placement of the flower before she turned her attention back towards him.  
“Take your stuff upstairs. I’ll have dinner ready in 10.” she spoke over her shoulder on her way to the kitchen, a smile permanently parked on her face. It made him a proud knowing he was the cause for that smile.

 

When he returned back downstairs, Felicity already sat at the table waiting for him while Lucky munched away on his food in the kitchen. The little dog had already put on some much needed weight ever since Felicity started feeding them, something Oliver was immensely grateful for. The last one deserving to suffer from his lifestyle was his furry friend.  
The plate in front of him was filled to the brim with delicious looking tacos and he truly had no idea how he should eat all that. Especially since the amount she had served herself was significantly smaller.

She seemed genuinely interested to hear about his day, even though he hardly had any news to tell. But with some simple questions she managed to keep them both engaged in a conversation that lasted the entire dinner.

Felicity had just plopped on the couch next to Oliver when her phone vibrated on the coffee table, signaling an incoming text message. With a groan she grabbed it, hoping it wasn’t anything work related. That shit could be dealt with tomorrow just as fine.  
The text message from her friend made her sit up straighter though.  
“Oh shit, I completely forgot I’m having yoga class tonight!”  
Quickly checking the time she realized she just had enough time to pack her bag, get ready and take the subway to the studio to arrive in time.

Before she could say anything to Oliver he was up on his feet, ready to head upstairs to grab his stuff and probably leave for the night.  
“Wait!” she called, stopping him before he could reach the stairs. “You... you can stay. If you want, I mean. I won’t be gone for long, two hours tops.” she offered with a small smile, completely stunning Oliver speechless.  
Did she seriously just offer him to stay at her place while she was away?

His hesitation seemed to register with her. With a smile she got up and slowly closed the distance between them.  
“I figured if you wanted to rob me of my belongings you could have done that days ago, not that I have anything of much worth except for my high heels. And I’m sorry to tell you, but we aren’t exactly the same size.” she spoke with an amused tone and eyed his sock-covered feet that were definitely a few sizes bigger than hers. “Besides, you don’t strike me as the type to favor nude or neon colors.”

For a long moment Oliver didn’t say anything but then his lip slightly quirked upwards.  
“I could sell them.” he shrugged and if she hadn’t seen that small grin on his face, she would’ve believed he was dead serious.

“Oh I’d love to see that.” she laughed and crossed her arms over her chest, looking as if she utterly enjoyed their relaxed banter. “A grown man, 6 foot tall and muscles for days, trying to sell designer high heels size 7 during one of our coldest and snowiest winters in Starling City. You clearly haven’t tried walking in these things on a frozen sidewalk.” she snorted and turned to head for the stairs to change and pack her bag.

“Is that why you wore boots instead of high heels the last days?”

“Huh?” She stopped in her tracks and turned, looking down at her bare feet, surprised by his question. Even though her winter boots weren’t exactly considered high heels, she still preferred to wear them instead of her usual footwear. They were warm and comfy and the smaller heel helped her to make it to the office without the risk of breaking an ankle.

“Your shoes. You always wear high heels, every morning I’ve seen you stepping out of the subway. You never wear the same heels more than once a week and I don’t think I’ve ever seen you go to work in flat shoes before.” he shrugged.

Felicity stared at him, completely surprised by his words. “You... you noticed my shoes?”

 _I notice everything about you._  
He shrugged again. “They’re usually the first thing I see of people when I sit at the subway. And yours are often standing out in the crowd of blacks and browns.”

His words made her smile. It was true, she always tried to brighten up her boring suits and outfits with some colored shoes. It was her kind of rebellion in the boring-colored businessworld she found herself in every day.  
“Speaking of flat shoes,” she spoke up and turned towards her stairs once again. “I really need to get ready. My instructor will kick my ass if I miss another class.” She rolled her eyes with a small laugh and disappeared upstairs.

Oliver still stood rooted on the spot when she returned again, dressed in jeans and a sweater, her gym bag in hand. He really had no idea what to do. Accepting her offer of a place to stay for the night was one thing - one thing he was very grateful for. But staying at her place, alone, while she was at the gym? It honored him that she trusted him so much, so soon, but it still made him very uncomfortable.

He weighed his options. If he hurried up, he probably could still make it to the shelter on Keefer Street, the only shelter in a 5 mile radius that would accept his dog. But there was no guarantee that they still had a spot left for the night when he arrived there, especially since he would only make it minutes before they closed for the night. Sleeping at the warehouse was also out of the picture. Ever since some punks had smashed all windows in the entire building, it was way too drafty and cold to spend the night there. It also meant he would’ve to walk another 4 miles to get there and since it had started snowing again, he wasn’t sure how to make it there without getting severe hypothermia. And then there was the luxury of her warm bed and heated apartment that he’d gotten used to in the last few days.  
Which made staying at Felicity’s apartment his best option. He could sit on the couch and snuggle with Lucky until she returned, not that he would touch anything in her place without her knowledge, anyway.

He turned towards her when she dropped the gym bag on the couch and put on some comfy sneakers. When she straightened up and smiled, Oliver couldn’t help but notice once again how much shorter she was without the help of her heeled friends.  
“You are pretty short without your heels.” he stated so matter of factly, she couldn’t help but snort.

“Pfh! YOU are just too big. How is the air up there, Lurch?”

“Lurch?”

“Yeah, you know? The butler of the Addams Family?”

As soon as he knew what she meant, he couldn’t help the chuckle that left him. The Addams Family butler was well over 6.9’’ tall, looming over everyone and everything. Oliver was far from being that tall, but with Felicity probably everyone looked like a skyscraper to her.

With another amused shake of her head, she shouldered her bag and grabbed her keys.  
“Alright, big buddy. I’ll be back in two hours. Make yourself at home. There’s ice cream in the freezer, but hands off the mint chocolate chip. I’m pretty territorial when it comes to that blend.” she smiled, grinned and was out the door before Oliver could even form a reply.

Where that friendly, almost chatty banter between them suddenly had come from, he had no idea. Normally he wasn’t one to speak that much, but maybe Felicity’s quirky, upbeat art just pulled that out of him. And she didn’t seem to mind bantering with him. Quite the opposite, actually, which was just another fact about her that he liked very much.  
The more he got to know her, the more he realized that in another life, Felicity would probably have been the perfect partner for him.

 

 

After rearranging the contents of his backpack and counting the last cash he had, not that there was much to count anyway, Oliver sat on the couch and let himself relax for a moment. It was rare that he could let his guard down out on the street, with threats looming everywhere all the time. Some might think that having a dog gives people some sense of security if you lived on the street, but Oliver knew all too well how ruthless people became when their lives depended on it. He’d heard of enough stabbings and muggings of people he met on the street, enough to put him on guard at all times. That was another reason why he opted for a place to sleep so far away from the city’s centre. It still wasn’t safe to sleep there by any means, but a thousand times better than having to spend the night with several other people, some of them high on drugs or alcohol.

But having to be constantly on guard like that was exhausting, especially if the place for the night didn’t even qualify as such. So with the warm and comfy walls of Felicity’s apartment surrounding him, Oliver willed himself to relax for a moment. He had forgotten how exhausting it could be running around in the cold weather all day, having to fight through several inches of snow for hours. And before he knew it, he was fast asleep on her couch.

 

Felicity returned back home a little later than she’d planned, but with subway having to stop for 15 minutes due to an emergency, there was no way she could speed up the process and get her ass home, under the shower and then in front of the fireplace, maybe even with a good glass of wine, to spend the evening with Oliver.

Loaded like a donkey with her gym bag and two grocery bags, she stomped off the snow and let herself inside. The sight that greeted her made her stop for a moment though.  
Oliver was half sitting half lying on the edge of her couch, fast asleep, his head leaned back slightly, resting on the cushion behind him. Lucky was sleeping in front of the fireplace, looking equally passed out to the world.  
The sight made her smile. She could only imagine how hard and exhausting living out on the street must be, especially with weather conditions like that outside.

She moved through the apartment on silent feet so she wouldn’t wake him, but when Lucky heard the crinkle of a bag, his head snapped up in interest. The jingle of the dog’s collar immediately woke Oliver up. His large body shot up from the couch and both Lucky and Felicity jumped in surprise. For a moment, Oliver looked around the room with wild eyes and balled fists. But when he saw Felicity in the kitchen, clutching a bag of cookies to her chest, his tense shoulders instantly relaxed.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured and looked down at the spot on the couch he’d occupied until just a few seconds ago. “I must have fallen asleep.”  
Shame filled his mind. He’d completely forgotten where he was, ready to - once again - attack the woman who had been nothing but sweet and generous to him so far and who now looked at him a little hesitantly, something she hadn’t done in quite a while.  
But he couldn’t even blame her. If she had been standing in front of him, he wasn’t sure if he would have attacked her or not. Out on the street you had to protect what’s yours, however little that was. Sometimes even a worn down pair of shoes could mean the world to someone and if you weren’t ready to fight for your stuff, you’d end up dead faster than imaginable. Oliver had learned the hard way to protect his few belongings in his early days on the street.

It had gotten somewhat easier when he made his first friends and then got Lucky, but no matter the amount of people you knew on the street, you always had to be ready to fight, especially during the night.  
He suddenly stormed upstairs to grab his backpack and put the leash on Lucky’s collar, much to Felicity’s surprise.

“What are you doing? You don’t have to take all your stuff if you want to take Lucky for a walk. Remember, your shoes won’t fit my tiny feet anyway.” she tried to joke but Oliver didn’t feel like laughing. He was ashamed of himself for almost threatening her again, in her own home at that. No matter how unfavorable the weather conditions were outside, he knew he had to get far away from her, or from anyone, in general. There was no way he was going to risk threatening such a wonderful woman ever again.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled and quickly pulled on his coat. “I scared you and you don’t deserve that. Thank you for letting me stay, and for all your help, but I better go now.” He already had the front door opened when Felicity stormed around him and pushed it back close with all her weight.

He was once again surprised how small she was without her heels, especially when standing so close to him. Her chin barely reached his shoulders and she had to crane her neck to look up at him.  
“I’m not going to let you go through that door.” she told him with a firm voice, actually surprising Oliver for a moment. No matter her tiny size, she definitely had a back bone, standing in front of him, telling him he wasn’t allowed to leave.  
“You didn’t scare me, you only surprised me for a moment. If anything, I was the one who scared you. I’m not exactly known to be the silent type.”

When Oliver’s eyes flickered with amusement for a second, her eyes went wide at the innuendo she just babbled out. “I mean, in normal things, not in a sexual, erotic... yeah, forget everything I said.” she shook her head and grabbed his hand, shooting a jolt of electricity through his body. Her hand was incredibly warm and soft and so small she could barely wrap her fingers around his palm. Even though they had been sharing her home for a few days now, he hadn’t gotten close to her ever since their kiss in the kitchen. Feeling her warm palm in his now made him want to never let go of her again.

“Now while I take a much needed shower, I want you to prepare a plate of cookies and something to drink for us, alright?”  
Even though it sounded like a question, Oliver knew very well that by the pointed look she was giving him, it wasn’t. She also seemed to read his mind, when she added  
“And don’t you dare try and run on me while I’m upstairs. I mean it.”  
Her threatening tone coupled with the not at all threatening look she was sporting made it hard for Oliver not to crack a smile. He nodded once and started inspecting the grocery bags once he heard the shower start upstairs.

Shame still filled him for how he reacted minutes before and the desire to put as much distance as he could between Felicity and him was still very present on his mind. But for some reason that blonde little spitfire managed to throw all his plans over board with just so much as a pointed look in his direction. He never liked to be bossed around, but with the way Felicity was doing it, he couldn’t help but obey her orders, even though every fiber of his brain shouted at him to leave.

 

She returned back downstairs 20 minutes later, dressed in some sweatpants and a longsleeve, her wet hair falling over her shoulders in wild curls. Oliver couldn’t remember seeing her face completely free of makeup before, but now that she sat next to him, he couldn’t help but stare at her. The small freckles that ran over her nose gave her an even cuter look, making her look a few years younger.

“Nice to see you’re still here.” she spoke over the rim of her wine glass, her eyes never leaving his.

“I was scared you’d track me down if I had left.”  
He had tried to make it sound funny, but Felicity wasn’t laughing.

She set her wine glass on the table and turned on the couch to fully face him.  
“I thought we’d clarified that you won’t run from me any longer.” she spoke with a calm, soft voice, even though Oliver could hear the seriousness in it, too. “You and Lucky have the guest room upstairs for as long as you want. If you don’t want to spend any more time here that’s fine with me, but please let me know before moving out. I care about you, Oliver, and people that care for each other automatically worry if they don’t know things are alright.”

Feeling as if he was being scolded, he could only nod.

“I know there are things in your life you can’t or won’t share with me and I’m fine with that. What I’m not fine with, however, is you feeling guilty over each and every step you take. You won’t scare me or hurt me, so stop worrying. I offered you to stay here, you didn’t force yourself into my guest room, so stop with all these thoughts running through that head of yours, alright?”

She really didn’t want to talk to him so harshly, but the situation just half an hour ago just showed her they hadn’t even come nearly as far as she first thought. Oliver was still very much holed up in his shell, and it was finally time to pull him out of it once and for all.

“It’s hard,” he suddenly began, making Felicity’s head snap up to him in surprise. She didn’t expect to hear him say anything, but now that he began talking, she listened intently.  
“trusting someone after years of not being able to. I’m scared I might slip and confuse you for another homeless trying to mug me whenever I fall asleep. I’m scared my darkness will hurt you.” he almost whispered, his voice so low she wasn’t sure if the last sentence was even intended for her ears.

She slid a little closer to him and grabbed one of his hands from his lap, interlacing her fingers with his. Even though his hands were rough, they also felt protective and so warming that she never wanted to let go of them again.

“Every first sunday of the month I leave for a few hours to do some cleanup work somewhere. That’s where I have been on sunday.”

Never in the world she would’ve guessed he’d start sharing secrets with her in that exact moment. It made her so happy that Oliver finally began opening up to her, her harsh words obviously resonating with him. Clamping her mouth shut she willed him to go on.

“I’ve done that for almost 4 years, never missed a date. It was one of the reasons, too, why I left you after you helped me with the fever. If I had stayed on your couch I would have wanted to stay all day and I just couldn’t do that.”

She remembered that day all too well. And even though the ending of that day still stung, now she could understand that he had a reason for leaving, even though she still had no idea where he went.  
“Where do you go?”

He was silent for a long time after that and Felicity wondered if she went too far asking that question.  
“I visit a very special person.” he replied with a look that seemed so far away from her it chilled her bones.

She had no idea what to make of that, but made sure not to ask any more questions after that. Pushing Oliver for more than he was ready was the last thing she wanted to do and the moment between them had obviously ended for now.

Leaning back into the couch cushions they both stared into the fire for a long time without saying a word. At some point Oliver’s thumb started caressing her hand that still sat in his between them. She had no idea if he was aware he was doing it, but it felt wonderful to her, so she didn’t dare remove her hand.

 

“You know what?” she spoke up after a while, breaking the silence between them. Oliver looked over to where she sat, her head casually resting against the couch, turned towards him with a smile.  
“I’ve got the day off tomorrow.” she grinned at him. “Want to help me buy hanukkah decorations?”

“Of course.” he quickly replied, clearly surprised to hear that fact about her.

“Ever since I moved here I only ever celebrated the holidays with the Shoemakers. It’ll be a nice change to celebrate the holidays at home this year.”

“I can’t even remember the last time I celebrated christmas.” Oliver replied, his eyes cast over to the fireplace.

“Not even when you still lived with your family?” she asked, clearly surprised by his statement. It made sense that he didn’t celebrate any holidays while living on the street, but she was surprised that he apparently didn’t celebrate it before that, either.

He softly shook his head once.  
“My family always had other priorities. It didn’t matter if there was a holiday coming up when work piled up.”

That was the most he’d ever revealed to her about his earlier life. Grasping for as much as she could, she carefully tried to inquire further.  
“So you worked together with your family?”

“At my father’s company. Since I was 16 years old, actually.”

Felicity listened intently, never taking her eyes off him.  
“Sounds lonely to me, not being able to enjoy the holidays with your family only because work gets in the way.”  
She knew all too well how lonely it could get. After two years in college where she passed all her mother’s invitations to thanksgiving, hanukkah and even new years, Donna actually forced her daughter to take some time off and brought her home for a semester break. Up until then Felicity had no idea how much she missed taking a break and spending time with her mom. And even though their relationship was a little on the weird side, no amount of work could ever take away from the fact that holidays were to enjoy with your close ones.

“My father never thought that way. I was raised not to waste any time with ‘unnecessary dawdling’ when I could work and earn good money instead.” he shrugged.

“Wow,” she huffed a surprised laugh. “Your father sounds like a real charmer.”

Her comment made Oliver chuckle as well. For some reason she once again managed to make him laugh despite the serious topic they were talking about. It also made him realize that with her he was laughing more than he’d done in several years.  
Back when Old Louie was still around, Oliver used to laugh at the old man’s jokes and stories of his past whenever they met in the city. It made the hard life on the street a little more bearable. But then Old Louie passed away one night and with him, the little fun in Oliver’s life had left again, too. And now a short, blonde force of nature put that smile back on his face, even if for a few seconds only.

 

“I don’t know about you, but I’m beat.” she suddenly announced after emptying her wine glass. “Will you lock everything up?”

Oliver got up from the couch when she did, nodding quickly. It still stunned him that she so casually gave him orders in the house, trusting him with not her safety but her belongings as well. Knowing he could be the one to protect her made him incredibly proud.  
“Of course,” he quickly nodded and suddenly found himself wrapped in a tight hug.

“I’m excited to go shopping tomorrow.” Felicity whispered into his shirt before letting go and heading upstairs.

“So am I.” he mumbled into the emptiness of her living room when he heard the door to her bedroom shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if I can post another chapter next friday... would you guys be willing to wait two weeks, or should I just post it earlier? :D


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey gang! :)  
> Here's another chapter for you guys, a day earlier, as promised! (and after last night's episode I guess we could all need a good dose of real and true Olicity, right? At least I do...)
> 
> We're fast approaching christmas / hanukkah in this story and I'm super excited what Oliver and Felicity will get for each other! (well, I know already, obviously, but still super excited! **:D** )
> 
> This chapter sheds some teeny-tiny bit of light into Oliver's backstory. I hope everyone likes the breadcrumbs I'm throwing here, hehe **:D** I promise from here on out, more and more will be revealed within the next chapters. **:)**

Decorating the house for the first time ever since she bought it definitely was a new experience for Felicity. And with the help of Oliver and Lucky - who enjoyed stealing decorations and bury them in the snow of her backyard - they actually managed to decorate the entire house in an interesting mix of hanukkah and christmas. Next to her menorah stood a small christmas tree that Felicity bought for Oliver, much to his fruitless protest.  
Over the fireplace hung 8 little hanukkah countdown-stuffings, right next to a christmas stuffing for each Oliver and Lucky. Pretty blue star garlands covered the windows to her backyard and Oliver had even managed to get some fairy lights hung into the tree in her garden.  
The entire place looked more homey than it had ever before.

 

And with the holidays fast approaching, Oliver and Felicity also fell into an easy routine.  
Every morning she woke up to the delicious smell of coffee and her favourite mug already waiting for her as soon as she came downstairs. After a quick liquid breakfast, they made their way into the city together where she picked Oliver up for lunch around noon and then met him at her place in the afternoon. The small paper bags she packed him every morning so both he and Lucky wouldn’t have to go without a breakfast were also something that quickly become a daily habit for her.

 

John Diggle ran into them one afternoon when they came home, but other than a few quick words and a very weird look that he sent Oliver, her favourite neighbor didn’t have much time to talk.  
She made a mental note to definitely head over and ask him if everything was alright as soon as she got the chance. Ever since Oliver came into her life, she had spent less and less time with John, something she really missed. But with the very demanding job he did and the little time she had that Oliver wasn’t around, they somehow never managed to run into each other for longer than just a few minutes. She was definitely going to change that - and ask John about the weird vibe he was sending Oliver. No need to have two territorial males prancing around her.

 

Oliver was already waiting on her front step when she came home two days later. And even though she smiled at him he could instantly sense that something wasn’t right.  
Without a word she led them inside and plopped onto the couch after kicking off her heels.

Oliver immediately collected her shoes and placed them neatly next to his before he joined her in the living room.  
“Is everything alright?”  
He knew that obviously it wasn’t, but he had no idea what else to say to her.

With a sigh, her head plopped against the couch cushions and rolled over to look at him.  
“I have to leave for a few days. There’s an important meeting in Central City that I can’t skip. I’ll need to take the first train tomorrow morning and will hopefully be back on sunday afternoon.”

Oliver’s face dropped at her words, but he tried to mask it quickly. Under no circumstances would he show her any disappointment on his face. He always knew that sleeping in her guest room was only a temporary solution. But still he’d grown so accustomed to her home, to being around her every evening, that it pained him having to face the life on the street again. But maybe, if he could secure a place at the shelter for a few days, he wouldn’t have to worry about sleeping outside? Making a mental note to head to the shelters as soon as possible, he focused back on Felicity.

She could see him thinking, could see the wheels in his head turning, so she took the solution right off his hands.  
“I won’t have time to go shopping, but the dog food should last for another few days at least, and the fridge and freezer are stocked up with food for several days, too, so you two should be okay until I’m back.” she smiled, as if the words she just said were absolutely no big deal for her. Or him, for that matter.

Oliver’s eyes went wide in shock.  
“I can’t stay here while you’re gone!” he called, completely dumbfounded how she could offer him her place without so much as a shoulder shrug.

Now it was Felicity’s turn to look at him confused.  
“Do you have another place where you could crash?”

“No. I mean, yes. The shelter on Korr street sometimes has -”

“Then it’s settled.” she interrupted him with a firm voice. “You’re going to stay here until I’m back. I won’t let you or Lucky risk having to sleep outside while I have a perfectly fine, warm apartment that’s unused!”  
“Besides,” she added with a little grin at Oliver’s still dumbfounded look, “I need someone watching the house while I’m gone.”  
_And I’ll sleep better knowing you two are safe._

 

That evening, Oliver took care of getting the pizzas in the oven and setting up the dining table while Felicity packed her bag for her trip to Central City in the morning. Ray certainly had pulled the ground from under her feet with the super late announcement, but since she was the head of the project with Star Labs, there was no way she could’ve skipped this trip or shove in onto someone else’s shoulders. Of course she would have preferred to spend her evenings at home with Oliver, but at least this trip wouldn’t take her to another country. And she would be back in 3 days. Things could’ve been a lot worse for her, actually.  
The decision to let Oliver stay at her place while she was gone wasn't something she had to think about for longer than a second. Unless he had a better place to stay she wasn’t going to send him away. Normally John usually received a key to her home to keep an eye on her plants and make sure everything was alright, but since Oliver was already living with her, anyway, she wasn’t going to accept any big changes. And she certainly wasn’t going to kick him out.  
Oliver had a safe and warm place to stay and she wouldn’t have to worry about him or her home while she was gone. Basically a win - win situation. Now only Oliver needed to see it that way, too.

Since she had to take the first train in the morning to Central City, their relaxed evening on the couch got cut short a little. But since she wouldn’t get any sleep on the train and was about to face a few very exhausting days at Star Labs, she definitely needed to get at least a few hours of rest beforehand.  
Up until they both headed to bed, Felicity had the feeling Oliver wanted to say something, even though he remained silent. She knew he probably wasn’t comfortable with the fact that he could stay at her place while she was gone, not that she cared about that. As long as she was comfortable with having him around, it was all that mattered to her. And just the thought of him sleeping outside in the freezing cold made her queasy, so there was no way she was going to kick him out while she was gone.  
And since she already gotten to know some of Oliver’s ‘ticks’, she also didn’t tell him that she had to leave way before 6am. Now she only needed to hope he was still asleep when she had to go and that Lucky wouldn’t alert him and interrupt her well laid out plans.

 

Thankful for her light sleep, the vibration of her phone woke her in the wee hours of the morning. Since she had a hotel room booked in Central City and no one to meet before the afternoon she didn’t bother putting on any makeup or getting into a business outfit. After sitting on a train for almost 3 hours the thing would be completely wrinkled, anyway.  
Dragging her backpack down the stairs as silent as possible so she wouldn’t wake Oliver, she set everything on her front door and sat down to write Oliver a quick letter.  
Along with one of her house keys and a 50$ note, she placed the letter on her dining table so Oliver would spot it right away. Having one last look around the living room, she sighed once, softly closed the front door behind her and walked over to the waiting cab. The sooner she got this over with, the sooner she could come back home.

 

Some faint noises from downstairs made Lucky’s head shoot up, waking Oliver up in the process. The dog jumped off the bed and ran to the closed guest room door, standing on two feet and whimpering at Oliver. Normally the dog kept poking his nose in Oliver’s face whenever he needed to pee in the morning, but maybe this matter was a little more urgent. Not bothering to put on a shirt, Oliver hopped out of bed and opened the door. Lucky immediately sprinted forward and through the hallway to get downstairs. With a small chuckle, Oliver followed him, noticing the the door to Felicity’s room was still closed. Perfect. That gave him the chance to surprise her with breakfast before she had to leave.

But when he arrived downstairs, Lucky wasn’t whimpering and sitting at the door to her backyard, waiting for it to be opened so he could christen her tree like every morning. The dog kept sniffing around the front door and her hallway. When Oliver noticed a letter sitting on the dining table next to a set of keys, he couldn’t help but stare at it for a long moment. Did she manage to sneak out on him?

With careful movements he opened the letter, the set of keys feeling heavy in his hand.

_Good morning, Oliver._  
_I had to leave earlier than normal but didn’t want to wake you up. It also gave me the advantage of forcing my place on you because I know you would try and talk me out of it. Which obviously isn’t going to happen now since I’m gone already. :)_  
_Please feel as at home in my place as I do with you around. There should be enough food for the two of you in the kitchen but just in case you’d need anything I also left you some money._  
_See you on sunday. :)_  
_xx, F_

He reread the letter at least three times. Her delicate handwriting made the small note almost look like a professionally written poem by a calligrapher. It also reminded him of the first note she had gotten him, the note that still sat neatly folded in his backpack.

Putting down the note he stared at the keys in his hand for a long while, a ton of thoughts racing through his head.  
She trusted him so much that she left him her place for a few days. That was something he still couldn’t fathom. He was keeping secrets from her and she still trusted him. He ran on her, multiple times, and she still welcomed him. He hurt her, almost twice, at that, but she still had no problems sleeping door to door with him. And now she even left him the keys to her home. All these things he couldn’t understand about her. But then again she didn’t strike him as a person who trusted easily, or even blindly. So why him?

Lucky’s whimpering pulled him out of his thoughts. The dog sat in the hallway, staring at the empty space that usually vacated Felicity’s winter boots.  
“Our girl is gone for a few days,” Oliver spoke softly and patted Lucky’s head. “And we’re going to make sure nothing happens to her place while she is gone, right?”

Lucky barked once, then jumped up and started frantically licking Oliver’s face before dashing over to the patio door and demand to be led into the garden. With that, Oliver promised her and himself he wouldn’t leave like he originally planned, wouldn’t deny her her wishes of knowing him safe while she’s gone but watch the house until she returned. Missing her would be a little easier in her home than at a rundown shelter, anyway.

 

Felicity arrived in Central City a little after noon, giving her enough time to check into her hotel room and get something to eat. Settled behind her laptop with a chicken teriyaki sub, she logged into her company account to check when she’d have to be at Star Labs.  
For a short moment she thought about logging into her security cameras to check on Oliver and Lucky, but decided against it. She really didn’t want to invade his privacy like that. What if he walked around naked the very moment she logged into her living room camera? Not that the thought of catching a glimpse of Oliver’s bare backside didn’t tempt the hell out of her.  
In the end, she settled for the imagination of having him sitting on her living room couch, buck naked, with Lucky beside him, when she closed the laptop and got ready for her conference with Star Labs.

It was way after 10pm when she fell into bed, completely exhausted from the eventful day. After the long meeting with Star Labs, she went out for a drink with Iris and Barry, both two friends whom she hadn’t seen in far too long. So when she actually returned back to her hotel room, exhaustion fully kicked in. After a quick shower to wash off the day, she fell asleep in the unfamiliar bed, dearly missing to have Oliver and Lucky nearby. For a second she wondered if he missed her, too, before she finally drifted off to sleep.

 

Sleeping alone in the big house was something that didn’t quite sit right with Oliver. Lucky didn’t seem to have such problem, though. The little dog ran around the apartment like he usually did, except for the fact that Oliver could clearly see the confusion in him.  
“I’m missing her, too, little buddy.” he spoke softly while preparing his breakfast bowl.

After the dog had been fed, Oliver checked her fridge for something he could eat. Under no circumstances would he raid her fridge and freezer for all the stored food, even though she very much told him to do so. She may have won over him when she sneaked out like that, but at least he could still control what - and how much - food he took from her while she was gone.  
Since it had snowed again through the night, Oliver got dressed after having an apple and a cookie for breakfast, and went to work shoveling both Felicity’s and the Shoemaker’s stairs and entry. Lucky seemed interested to join him but Oliver decided to keep the dog inside and take him out for a walk later, much to Lucky’s protest from behind the front door.

He was just finishing the stairs from the Shoemakers when the front door at the other side of Felicity’s apartment opened and her neighbor stepped out. As soon as both men made eye contact, a look of surprise flashed behind the black man’s eyes, quickly followed by one of irritation.

“Good morning.” Oliver tried to be as polite as he could. No need to stir up any trouble with a good friend of Felicity, her direct neighbor, at that.

For a long time, the imposing black man didn’t say a word but only stared at him. Just when Oliver was about to call defeat and resume getting the stairs cleared, the other man spoke up.  
“Good morning, Mister Queen.”

It felt as if the ground had been pulled from under him. No one had spoken that name to him in over 3 years.  
With wide eyes he stared at the black man, not even able to cover the shock on his face. He knew that that would happen sooner or later, but why in the world did it have to happen with Felicity’s neighbor?

“Guess I’m right then.” John murmured to a completely still, shell-shocked Oliver. “Why don’t you finish up and come inside for a coffee?”

Oliver could see and hear that this definitely wasn’t a question but more of an order. Not that he had any plans to disobey the man. The sooner he could figure out what her neighbor was up to, the sooner he could form a plan on what to do next. He didn’t want to run, but if worse came to worst, that would be his only option. The thought of having to leave Felicity sent a shudder down his spine, so he quickly nodded and watched the man disappear back inside his apartment.

 

It took him almost 10 minutes to muster up the courage and knock on John's door. Upon opening, Oliver could see the tall and muscled stature of the man standing opposite of him. Yeah, definitely the military background he’d guessed weeks before when he first saw him.  
“Come in.” John spoke with a firm voice, his face not showing one hint of a smile, so stark different to Felicity’s. He certainly wasn’t welcomed in this man’s house. At least not as welcome as he was in Felicity’s.  
“Have a seat." John led him through the apartment to the seating area. "Water, coffee?”

“Water will be fine, thank you.” Oliver politely replied and took a seat on the couch, risking a quick look around the living room. The segmentation of the rooms was almost identical to Felicity’s, only the decor was very much different. He could see a few photos hung up on a wall in the hallway, but before he could check them out a little more closely, a glass of water had been handed to him and his view blocked by a broad chest.

“So, Oliver,” John began and took a seat opposite of him, his watchful eyes focused on Oliver. “I have to say I’m a little surprised.”

Oliver frowned at him. That wasn’t the first thing he thought to hear.  
“About what?”

“A few things, actually. About you disappearing from the earth all of a sudden years ago, only for me to find you in Felicity’s backyard roughly 4 years later. About Felicity, who either hasn’t yet figured out who you are, or simply doesn’t care. About why the heck you supposedly live on the street when the wealthiest family of Starling City shares the same last name with you. The list goes on, actually, but I’d like for you to enlighten me on these 3 questions for now.”

The firm and demanding voice that John spoke with may have intimidated him years ago. It sometimes reminded him of his father’s voice. But not any more. Not after having lived through hell for almost 4 years, having to face troubles much bigger than the man sitting opposite of him right now.

After taking a deep breath, he set the water glass on the coffee table and looked down at his hands for a moment, carefully choosing his words. If he didn’t get one of Felicity’s closest friends in his good graces, he could practically pack his bags right now and leave her. But how much was he willing to reveal about himself in the process?  
“I have no idea what the media posted about my disappearance, but I can assure you, most of it is probably bullshit coming from the Starling Inquirer. I did have my reasons for disappearing, I still do. And as for Felicity not noticing me, I can only assume that’s related to her moving here way after everything happened. It had been a year after I disappeared when she moved here and I highly doubt that even the Inquirer dishes about stuff that long, not even with my last name on it.”

John nodded once, seemingly agreeing with Oliver.  
“That still leaves the question as to why you’re allegedly living on the street when you have a big, luxurious bed waiting for you every night.”

“That’s my decision, don’t you think?” Oliver snapped back. Never before had someone suggested to him that he didn’t have to live on the street, and he sure as hell wouldn’t let a strange man implicate that he only did it because he was ‘bored’ or ‘rebellious’ or any stupid bullshit like that.

“You’re right, that’s totally your decision. But as soon as you step into Felicity’s life, you automatically make it my problem, too.” John replied, his voice calm and flat, even though Oliver could see the protective streak in the man. He knew it because he had it himself.

“I would never hurt Felicity.”

“Then are you going to tell her who you are? Because the way I see it, that's the least she deserves.”

“It’s not that easy.” he shook his head in defeat. If it were, he’d long told her already.

John stared at him for along time without saying something. The longer Oliver felt the other man’s scrutinizing look, the more he just wanted to bolt out of the apartment.  
“Will you tell me then?” he finally asked and Oliver’s head snapped up to look him right in the eyes.

“And who promises me you won’t run to the media first chance you get and out me? It would kill two birds with one stone for you, after all. It would drive me out of Felicity’s life and you’d get some story you could sell to the media. So tell me again, why should I trust you? A man who just told me he doesn’t like seeing me around his friend?”

John’s dark eyes stayed focused on Oliver for a long while after that. He didn’t say anything at first, only let the other man’s words sink in before he replied. It bugged Oliver that he wasn’t able to read the man sitting opposite of him, but John’s face was free of any emotion he could spot.  
But then he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and looked Oliver directly in the eyes when he spoke.  
“I don’t give a shit about any media. If I did, I could’ve gone and told them weeks ago already, when I first saw you sitting in her backyard. I wasn’t 100% sure then, but I had an idea. But you have to cut me some slack, too, Oliver. Every newspaper covered tons of stories about your family back then, and when everything reached its peak, you simply disappeared from the world, leaving behind one very concerned family.”

Oliver couldn’t hold back the small snort at John’s words, not quite believing what he said.

“So of course I’m confused whether one of my closest friends will be safe with you. Of course I’m wondering what your plans are with her, or what your plans have been in the last years. And I think it’s only fair if I ask you to tell me your part of the story. What the media and your family said obviously got covered none too thoroughly. I’m sure you would do the same if you were in my place.”

No matter how he tried to twist it, he had to admit that John had a point there. He’d obviously known for quite a while now who Oliver was, but hadn’t said a thing yet. At least not as far as Oliver knew. But laying out everything in front of a stranger? He hadn’t even been able to tell Felicity more than a few snippets of his life, so how in the hell should he do it with this man sitting opposite of him? The first person, aside from his family and himself, that would know the truth then?

 

 

It was almost two hours later that Oliver returned back to Felicity’s apartment to an anxiously waiting Lucky. Just when he was about to unlock the front door and go inside, John stepped out once again.  
“You have to tell her, Oliver. Before someone else recognizes you and takes that chance away from you.”

“I know.” he nodded with a small sigh. “I will. I just need to find the right moment.”

“I completely understand that, man. Just... don’t wait too long. And if there’s ever anything you might need to talk about, just knock.”

He nodded again.  
“Thanks, John. You’re a good friend to Felicity.”

A small smile crept up John’s lips.  
“Well, it seems you could use one, too.”  
And with another short nod, John disappeared back into his apartment, softly closing the door behind him, leaving behind a completely stunned and exhausted Oliver.

 

When Oliver had laid out his whole story in front of John, he never would’ve guessed to get any sympathy or even support from the other man. He definitely didn’t expect it. But that was exactly what he got. Not only that, John also seemed to believe him, something Oliver still couldn’t grasp, especially not after John showed him all the articles the newspapers had written after Oliver’s disappearance.  
_‘Oliver Queen in rehab after breakdown’_ was probably the nicest of the bullshit headlines he got to read.

Now he only needed to find the strength to tell Felicity, too.

 

He didn’t see John again after their conversation, but grew more and more agitated the longer Felicity was gone. He hadn’t wanted to linger around in her apartment all day while she was away, but he’d been so shaken up by John and the fact that someone already had recognized him, that he felt too nervous to go over to the subway station like he usually did every morning. So he hid away in her apartment and drove himself insane by trying to come up with a plan on how to tell her everything.

On saturday morning he came up with a little distraction for himself that he also hoped would put a smile on Felicity’s face. Grabbing the 50$ bill that still sat where she left it on the dining table, he compiled a small list of groceries he’d need based on the single cook book she owned and headed out, leaving Lucky to guard the apartment while he was gone.

He couldn’t remember the last time he had so much money to spend on groceries, but since he did this solely for Felicity, the discomfort in him about using her money dimmed a bit. His stomach kept grumbling while he shopped, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten anything except for a cup of coffee and two cookies for breakfast. But every time he opened her fridge, a bad feeling came over him, forcing him to shut the door just as fast as he’d opened it. No matter how much his stomach grumbled, he couldn’t bring himself to take stuff from her without her knowledge.

Treasuring the keys to her house like his most prized possession, he constantly kept his fingers wrapped around it while he wheeled the small cart through the aisles. Half an hour and loaded with two large paper bags of food, he made his short trek back to the apartment, eager to start preparing his surprise for her.

Lucky barked and whined in excitement the moment Oliver opened the front door and stepped inside. In over 2 years that he owned the dog they had never spent more than a few minutes apart. Wherever Oliver went, Lucky went with him. But since dogs weren’t allowed inside the grocery store, he would’ve had to leave him outside in the freezing snow, tied to a lamppost or something. And he wouldn’t do that if he could avoid it.

Getting all the stuff stored in the fridge, he collared Lucky up and went for a long walk with his best friend. John’s words still rang in his head and he drove himself insane trying to come up with a good way to explain everything to Felicity. He knew that John was right; if he didn’t tell her himself, someone else could do that for him. And based on all the lies the newspapers had spread about him, Felicity would probably hear some made-up shit, and not the truth. That was something only Oliver could tell her.  
There was only that fear nagging on him; the fear that she might not want to see him any longer as soon as he laid everything out in front of her. Not that he could blame her. His family name was loaded with so much bullshit that even he himself ran and hid from it all the time. So why should she put up with all that, when not even he himself could?

 

Returning back home almost two hours later, he immediately heated up the fireplace, fed Lucky and got the house ready for the night. It was still very weird for him being all alone in this big house, but he’d promised her and himself that he would take good care of her belongings until she returned. He could only hope she still wanted to have him around as soon as she came back because if she didn’t, he would have to come up with an alternative plan that right now, he didn’t even want to think about.

In the evening, his stomach grumbled and protested so loudly that he finally gave in and checked her fridge again. Two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and a glass of orange juice later and his stomach finally shut up. He wasn’t fully satisfied by any means, but more he just couldn’t get himself to take from her.

Deciding to call it an early night so he’d be ready to start preparing dinner for Felicity’s return as soon as possible, he grabbed Lucky and headed upstairs to his room. Sleep didn’t come easily that night, just like the night before, but the anticipation and excitement of Felicity’s return made him drift off in the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there was almost no Felicity in this chapter, but I just _had_ to send her away so Oliver and John could talk.  
>  But I swear I'll make it up to you guys with some Olicity goodness in the next chapter! :)


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey gang! :)
> 
> Thank you all so much for the lovely comments you left me on the last chapter. I'm literally *this* close to finishing this story, and all your wonderful comments give me the extra push I need to get it done.   
> So without further ado, here's another chapter for you guys! ❤

If Felicity realized one thing on her trip to Central City, it was that not being able to get in touch with Oliver sucked. Big time.  
One evening she even contemplated calling John so he could head over there and hand the phone to Oliver, but that would have meant revealing to her friend and neighbor that she had a visitor staying over at her place. And knowing John, the man would definitely demand answers to a ton of questions as soon as she returned home, probably even interrogate poor Oliver before that. And she really didn’t want that. Besides, she had no real idea what to talk about with him and simply admitting she wanted to hear his voice wasn't an option. So she stopped herself and hopped on the earliest train she could catch instead, eager to get back home.

  
Seeing the lights on in her apartment filled her with a sense of happiness. Not because she had been worried Oliver might have bolted on her, but because she could see he was home and everything seemed alright. And that someone was waiting for her. In a home that, up until she literally stumbled into Oliver’s life a few weeks ago, had been a pretty silent and lonely place for her.

As soon as she turned the handle to the front door, loud barking bellowed through the living room, followed by the traipsing sound of Lucky’s feet barreling through the apartment. It was a sound she’d grown to love very much.  
“Hello little buddy.” Felicity called with a laugh, kneeling down so the dog could tackle her and give her a proper hello. Never before had someone been so excited when she returned back home from a trip. It was definitely something she could get used to.

Something she also could get used to was the incredible smell that wafted through her apartment. Standing up, she took off her coat and boots, abandoned her suitcase and padded over to the kitchen, right into the arms of Oliver. Cooking. In her kitchen.  
When he looked up and smiled at her, her heart did a little flip. That was the exact reason why she couldn’t wait to come back home.  
“Hey.”

“Hey.” he mirrored her words, never taking his baby blue eyes off her.  
“Did you have a safe trip?”

She nodded and gulped once, taking a small step away from him so she wouldn’t tackle him to the ground and kiss him senseless. No reason to freak him out, especially not since he looked more relaxed than she’d ever seen him in her home.  
“I’m glad I’m back though.” she quickly added and propped her hip on the doorway, her watchful eyes trained on his every move.

“Me too.” he murmured so low she wasn’t sure if it was meant for her ears. She couldn’t help smile at his words nonetheless.

“I’m gonna get my stuff upstairs and change real quick. Can’t wait to get back in some more comfortable clothing.”  
And with that, Felicity grabbed her suitcase and headed upstairs, giving Oliver just the time he needed to finish setting up the table.

 

Returning back downstairs 10 minutes later, dressed in sweats and a loose shirt, she walked right into a scene from another world.  
The table in her dining room was all set up, a plate with delicious looking and smelling pasta waiting for her along with a glass of wine. Even a candle was burning in the middle of her table. She had no idea where he’d found that one. And right next to it stood Oliver, looking so adorably nervous that she wanted nothing more than hug him.

“Is that all for me?” she asked, so surprised that he’d cooked dinner for her that she could even ignore the loud grumbling of her stomach for a moment. “You cooked for me?”

He nodded and gulped, visibly getting more and more nervous the longer she stood rooted to the spot in her living room and eyed the table without taking a step towards it.  
As soon as she pulled him out of his misery by stepping forward, he shot up from his place near the kitchen and pulled the chair for her.  
Blushing at his gentlemanly behavior, she lowered her head for a moment and eyed the incredible looking dinner in front of her.  
“If this tastes anything like it looks and smells, this will be the best pasta I’ve ever had.” she told him while he filled up her wine glass. It didn’t miss her attention that he’d just served her a glass of her favourite wine; one she most definitely didn’t have any more bottles left in the rack.

“I hope you like it. It has been a while since I last cooked a meal.” he told her, sounding just as unsure and nervous as he looked.

Even if it had tasted like crap, alone the gesture of cooking her dinner, of spending more than an hour in the kitchen to surprise her with something made her incredibly happy. Not one boyfriend before had ever bothered to even think about doing something so sweet for her, so Oliver already had a ton of points in her book, no matter how the food might taste.

When she was about to take the first bite, she noticed that Oliver hadn’t taken a seat beside her. Actually, she just then noticed that the whole table was only set for one person. Huh?

“Where do you think you’re going?” she called as soon as she saw him stepping away, heading for the hallway leading to her front door.

He stopped and turned around, surprised by her blunt words.  
“I made this for you. I don’t want to impose. Besides, I’m sure you must be exhausted from your trip.”  
He was about to make another step towards the front door when Felicity stopped him once again.  
“Have you eaten already?”

“Yes.”

“When?”

“Around noon.”

As soon as she heard his words, she got up and went to retrieve another plate. “That qualifies as lunch then. This is dinner. I’m not going to have dinner alone, especially not since this is way too much food for just one person and I’m not going to ask Lucky to share it with me. So sit, and let’s eat together, please. You made it, after all.”

Felicity put a plate opposite of hers and immediately started shoveling a large amount of pasta on it. Oliver actually had to stop her before she emptied the entire pan on his plate. And it wasn’t that he wasn’t hungry. Because he was, badly so. He just didn’t want to set the table for two without knowing if she’d even want his company. Lord knows the last person he’d been living with always _‘needed her space’_ when returning from a trip.

 

They ate in almost complete silence even though it didn’t feel weird. Felicity was just glad being back home with Oliver and from the look on Oliver’s face, she could only assume he was glad having her back home as well. Or at least she hoped so.

Since the kitchen was spotless, not even a trace from an earlier cooking session visible, she quickly rinsed their plates and placed them in the dishwasher. Oliver helped her getting the table cleared and when she turned around, she almost smacked into his chest while putting away the place mats.

Not willing to step out of his personal zone just yet, she looked up at him and smiled.  
“Thank you for cooking for me, Oliver. No one has ever done this before. Especially not such a delicious meal.” she spoke softly, her fingers itching to reach out and touch his chest. For a moment she wondered if his heart raced as fast as hers.

“You’re welcome.” he rasped out, having to clear his voice when it cracked. After swallowing the lump in his throat, he added “It’s the least I could do after everything you’ve done for me.”

Stepping even closer to him, she closed the last remaining distance between them. He smelled of her shampoo and detergent, but also so incredibly manly. It intoxicated her.  
“I missed you,” she whispered.

“I missed you, too.” he confessed at a whisper, looking right into her eyes.

She expected him to back away, maybe even take a step away from her, but he completely surprised her with his confession.

“Kiss me,” she breathed out, her voice so shaken she didn’t trust it to be firmer.

His sharp intake of breath showed her he was just as affected as she was. Not that she’d let him back out now. But since she had been the one who’d kissed him the first time, now it was Oliver’s job to instigate the kiss.  
His eyes went down to her lips and the moment she licked them in anticipation seemed to be the breaking point for him. Leaning in, he slowly pressed his lips onto hers.

That kiss was so stark different to their first one.  
While the first one had been rough and demanding, this time Oliver felt almost a little hesitant. She slowly placed her hand on his chest to stabilize herself and could feel his racing heart under her palm. He took his sweet time exploring her lips this time before his tongue seeked entrance.  
With her arms wrapped around his neck, her fingers leisurely playing with the hair on his nape, they both kissed without hurry, exploring each other, neither wanting the moment to end.

When Oliver eventually pulled back to give them both a moment to breathe, Felicity smiled up at him, never leaving the closeness to his body.  
“Now that’s a ‘welcome home’ I could get used to.” she mumbled, earning a soft chuckle from him.

Both seemed reluctant to let go of each other, but with Lucky whining around their feet and Felicity in dire need of the bathroom, she eventually took a step back from him.  
Rushing through the apartment, she took care of business in record time and was back downstairs just when Oliver sat down on the couch, a freshly refilled glass of wine waiting for her. Seeing him like that made her realize she had never been more happy to be back home than in this moment.

“Did you have a good time on your trip?” he asked her when she sat down beside him and tucked her feet under herself.

She took a sip of her wine and leaned her head back onto the couch, her eyes focused on him.  
“Let’s say I’m more happy to be back home and have a few days off. Travelling for work definitely won’t become my favourite part of the job.”

“You don’t like to travel?”

“Oh I do,” she laughed softly. “As long as I can decide where to go and what to do. And even though I love my job, I definitely don’t need to work during a vacation.”

“Fair point.” he smiled. Lucky had watched the two talking from his spot in front of her fireplace, but since both Oliver and Felicity were so engrossed with each other, the dog started to feel a little neglected. Placing himself between them, he whined first at Oliver and then at Felicity when his owner didn’t immediately react.

Felicity grinned and patted the couch between them once. Lucky immediately took the invitation and jumped up, rolling himself into a ball in front of her feet.  
“You never told me how you two ended up together.” Felicity spoke with a low voice, her sole attention focused on softly ruffling the little dog’s ears.

Oliver watched her petting his dog for a while, the way she so warmly and softly caressed his best friend. It made him wonder for a second if she was the same in a relationship with a man.  
“Two years ago I spotted him chained to a backyard in some rundown area. I couldn’t see an owner anywhere near but he clearly looked neglected. So I got him some water and checked back the next day. For over a week there wasn’t anyone checking on him, or even feeding him or providing him with water. Anything he got, he got from me. One day I saw movement in the house all of a sudden and hid to watch for a while. No one checked on him for hours and when I saw a couple move out the front door with some packed bags and suitcases, not even bothering to take him with them or make sure he was okay, I just snapped. Removed the chain from his collar, grabbed the old blanket from his doghouse and took him with me. We’ve been together ever since.”

At some point she stopped ruffling the dog’s neck and looked up to watch him while he spoke.  
“Were you never worried they might miss him, or maybe even report him as stolen?”

Oliver laughed ironically at her words.  
“They didn’t even bother to check if he was still alive after more than one week. And I’ve kept tabs on the house. It didn’t look as if they ever returned back after I saw them leave with their bags. The house is now fully renovated and owned by someone who actually lives there. So no, I was never really worried the police or someone else might notice him and take him away from me.”

It was just another thing about Oliver that melted his heart. He cared so much for others, at least for the ones he deemed a friend, but on the other hand didn’t really allow someone to care for him - at least until lately. Felicity was pretty proud of herself to be the one pulling him out of his shell little by little.

“So did you two have fun while I was gone?” she asked with a smile and Oliver was glad she decided to steer the topic away from the sudden frumpy mood that hang over them. Not that he had much to share about being alone in her apartment while she was away. He didn’t really do anything besides keeping the house clean and reading her one cookbook, trying to freshen up his rusty memory for the dinner surprise he’d planned for her.

“We were okay. Lucky was a little confused at first when we got up and you were gone.” He kept to himself that he was probably just as confused as his dog when he came downstairs, eager to surprise her with a fresh coffee before she had to leave, only to find her gone already.

Felicity laughed softly.  
“Yeah well, I didn’t want to wake you guys in the wee hours of morning only because I had to leave. Besides, I didn’t want to give you the chance to talk yourself out of me letting you stay here, so I took the easy way out. What can I say… I learned from the best.” she added with a grin and pointed look before reaching for her wine glass.

“Fair point.” he chuckled.

She wanted to ask a ton more questions about what they had done while she was away, but with the very little sleep she’d gotten in that terribly uncomfortable hotel bed and the long train ride back home, exhaustion finally kicked in.  
Oliver didn’t seem to mind but wanted to take Lucky for another walk before heading to bed.  
“You still have the keys to the front door. Keep them, they’re my spare set anyway. Just lock the door behind you.” she winked and was up the stairs before Oliver could protest.  
Once again she managed to play him with his own tricks. Not that he minded knowing she trusted him so much that she was okay with him coming and going while she was asleep upstairs. She most probably couldn’t show him more trust than with that.

A quick 30 minute jog through the snow later and Lucky and Oliver both returned back home thoroughly exhausted and eager to get to bed. From the outside, her place looked completely dark, only a small light shining through the closed curtains in her room on the upper floor. So she was still awake?  
_Well go upstairs, knock and find out!_

Shaking his naughty thoughts away he let Lucky inside, locked the door behind them and made sure the patio door was locked as well. Heading upstairs for a hot shower, he didn’t bother checking on the dog or what his sneaky little friend was up to now.  
It was when he got under the sheets and found the room empty of his furry friend, that he put on a t-shirt and went in search of him.  
Coming up empty handed after a frisk of the lower level, he ended up standing in the hallway, looking right at the slightly ajar door to Felicity’s bedroom.

On tiptoes he made his way over there, even though every bone in his body protested to cross that line. Not without her consent. Yet his friend was most probably somewhere in there and he didn’t want to upset her by having the dog snooping around in places where he wasn’t supposed to be.  
The lights were off in the room and not a sound could be heard. After debating with himself for a full minute whether to open the door and go inside, he clenched his fists, forcing his nervous fingers to still for a moment and peeked his head through the open door.  
With only half of her curtains drawn, the moonlight colored the room in a light blue glow, giving him the chance to take in all surroundings.

Her room was a little bigger than his, the large wooden 4-poster bed looking like the centerpiece of the room. He could see a drawer with some beauty supplies on it on the far corner, and two closed doors on the other. But what kept his gaze fixed was the sleeping beauty in the center of the room. She looked even more tiny in that large bed, under the light colored sheets that he could barely make out her form. His breath stuck when she suddenly turned around, the blanket slipping from her shoulder in the process.  
No bra. She wasn’t wearing any underwear under her tank top and the chilly air in the room made that clearly visible for Oliver.  
Gulping down the lump that had formed in his throat, he forced his eyes away from her the moment he spotted a familiar pair of ears on the pillow next to her.  
_You’ve got to be kidding me!_

“Lucky!” he harshly whispered to get the dog’s attention, but his friend merely twitched an ear. How did that traitor even got up there by himself?

Torn between what to do, Oliver stood in her doorway and stared at his dog, willing him to get out of her bed and follow him but of course, his buddy didn’t move a muscle. Not even when Felicity shifted again, rolling onto her side facing him. And even though she was still fast asleep, Oliver froze stock still. If she woke up now and saw him standing in her doorway like a peeping tom - with an erection tenting his damn boxers, at that - she would throw his dumb ass out on the road within a second. And he couldn’t even blame her for it.

This needed to be solved. And that quickly.  
“Lucky!” he tried again, sounding even harsher this time and finally got the dog’s attention. The hard, demanding look Oliver was sending him seemed to work wonders, too, because Lucky slowly, almost reluctantly got up from the bed and jumped down, the jingle of his collar sounding incredibly loud in the silent room. With slow movements he closed the distance to Oliver and followed him out.

As soon as he closed the door to his room, he looked down at his friend.  
“Don’t ever do that again, buddy!”  
At his words, Lucky’s curious ears instantly plopped down, as if he knew exactly what he’d done wrong.  
“We can’t just go into her room and sleep in her bed! Don’t make us lose this chance with her. Our place is here, right in this room, not in hers, alright?”

With his head cast downward, the dog walked over to the large bed and sat down on the rug in front of it, waiting for Oliver to help him up.

"Oh now you can't get in there on your own?" he huffed and helped him under the sheets. Once they were both settled in bed, he dimmed the light, hoping to fall asleep soon. But his brain kept firing picture after picture of a sleeping Felicity to the front of his mind, making it impossible for him to relax into the sheets. Image after image of her, moving and turning on the large bed, bed sheets slipping down to her waist, revealing stiff peaks under a thin sleep shirt, did vivid things to his body.  
Groaning, he kicked off the sheets and jumped out of bed, heading straight for the bathroom to have another cold shower. And for the first time in years, he jerked off to the thought of a woman who seemed to have woken up his libido when he least expected it.

 

Facing Felicity the next morning was something that made Oliver incredibly uncomfortable all of a sudden. He’d heard her when she woke up and walked around her room upstairs and like every morning before, he’d taken that as his start sign to prepare her coffee. But when she actually walked downstairs, his nerves got the best of him. She would so kick him out if she knew that he watched her last night and then took that image to jerk off in her shower, coming harder than ever before.

But thankfully, she was beautifully delirious to his naughty thoughts and the wicked things he’d done the night before. And since Lucky couldn’t talk, there was no way he’d admit all that stuff to her. It wouldn’t do anyone any good.  
With a broad smile on her lips, she arrived in the living room. Lucky came barreling inside from the garden, carrying a lump of snow inside with him in the process. Felicity laughed and jumped away to avoid it landing on her feet, something that spurred on Lucky even more.  
Seeing these two acting so naturally with each other did funny things to Oliver. Lucky wasn’t an antisocial dog by any means, but that normally only applied for other dogs. With people, he usually needed quite a while to warm up to someone. So seeing him like that with Felicity, and her in turn with his best friend... yeah, for a moment it felt like family; like a normal life. But as soon as that feeling went through him, his breath caught in his throat.  
He didn’t have a family any longer.

Felicity, being the observant person she was, seemed to sense Oliver’s sharp intake of breath. When she looked up and smiled at him, he smiled back, but she instantly saw that it was a little strained.  
“Good morning.” she smiled and took a step closer to the kitchen, her watchful eyes focused on him over her kitchen island.  
“Is everything alright?”

He could’ve told her then and there. Told her everything. About his life, his past, every gritty detail that was his life. But still something held him back.  
“Yeah, I was just wondering if the snow might damage your hardwood floor.”

It was a lame attempt to cover the truth and from the look in Felicity’s eyes, she probably thought that, too. But being the amazing person she was, she didn’t press the issue further but waved her hand instead.  
“Don’t worry. I had it sealed twice when I bought the house. I have a habit of spilling drinks, so precautions had to be taken early on.” she smiled and sat down at the kitchen island separating them.

 

After a quick breakfast, Felicity suggested taking a walk with Lucky since it was sunny outside for once. Oliver didn’t mind and Lucky certainly didn’t, either. It had been a while since they both walked his little friend and even though Oliver didn’t mind spending time with her on the couch, he also missed being out in the fresh air.

Just when they stepped out, John opened the front door as well, dressed as if he was heading for a run.  
“Good morning Felicity! Oliver.” he nodded towards them and Felicity immediately noticed that the tension that had always hang between the two men before was now gone for some reason. Oliver still didn’t look 100% comfortable but already a ton better than just a few days ago when the two men were sending each other weird glances. Making a mental note to ask Oliver later if something had happened while she was gone, for the moment she was just grateful that Oliver and her closest friend seemed to be on friendly ground. The last thing she needed was a testosterone-laden pissing contest on her front door.

“Jesus, how can you run when it’s so freezing cold? And so slippery!” The first and only time John had convinced her to join her for a morning run she almost broke her ankle during the warm up. She couldn’t even imagine running on frozen ground without breaking a leg.

“The fresh air is the best thing for body and lungs.” John replied and took a deep breath, secured his gloves and zipped up his jacket before taking off for the park down the road.  
“See you later, guys. Enjoy your walk.”  
And with that, he disappeared down the road.

Oliver was still busy tucking Lucky into his small winter coat when Felicity turned to him.  
“Did something happen between John and you that I’m not aware of?” she asked and even though she tried to sound casual, she probably failed miserably, if Oliver’s surprised look and sharp turn of head in her direction was any indication.

She could see the wheels turning in his head. With a small frown on his face he tried to come up with a plausible answer.  
“We ran into each other when I shoveled the front door on saturday morning.” he replied with a small shrug.

Felicity looked as if she wanted to ask more, but didn’t. Oliver had no idea if that relieved or worried him, especially since she looked so bewildered and suspicious about the encounter between John and him just a few minutes before.

 

The walk was relaxing, but Oliver could feel that something was in the air between them. After the talk he had with John a few days ago he knew he needed to tell her but now that he had the chance to do so, he realized that things weren’t as easy in reality. The fear of her reaction - her possible rejection - made him uncomfortable as hell. Even more so after that kiss the night before. If anything, it made the situation for him even more precarious because now he not only feared to lose her as a friend, but to lose what could potentially blossom between them as well.

Once back home they dropped off Lucky and headed for the grocery store together. With another adult and a dog now permanently living with her, Felicity definitely needed to stock up on a few goods. Bringing takeout home after work only worked for so long until one of them was fed up with it. Besides, she really enjoyed what Oliver had cooked her and with the right ingredients, she could maybe persuade him to cook something every now and then.

Oliver didn’t look overly comfortable wheeling the cart through the store next to her, but Felicity didn’t mind. She was just happy being able to do something together with him. He kept his head low, the hair in front of his face shielding him from his surroundings. But as soon as she stopped somewhere and turned her attention to him, his eyes snapped up to her, intently listening to whatever she had to say.

They returned back home an hour later, loaded with bags and dog food. Lucky jumped around hysterically, clearly excited to have them both back, while Felicity and Oliver stored away all the groceries.  
“Would you mind finishing this alone? I forgot something and need to head out again real quick.” Felicity suddenly began, making Oliver stop his movements and stare at her.

“Uh... sure. I’ll take the time and free your patio from all the snow.”

With a small smile and nod, Felicity grabbed her bag and coat and was out the door, ready to start on with her secret mission.

Oliver took the time to store everything away until he heard sounds coming from John’s front door. Making up his mind before he could talk himself out of it, he sprinted to the front door and pulled it open to find Felicity’s neighbor, dressed in a crisp black suit, heading down the steps.  
“Hey John, I uh... I have a question.”

John looked surprised to see Oliver standing at Felicity’s door, alone, but stopped to listen nonetheless.  
“Shoot. You only have 3 minutes though, then I need to leave for work.” he spoke and checked his watch.

Oliver looked a little nervous, but asked anyway.  
“Do you think I could join you for a run some time? If you’re okay with that, of course.”

Mild amusement crossed the black man’s face.  
“Got a little energy to burn?”

“Yeah, I feel a little restless. It’s been a while since I’ve worked a job, so the energy kind of piles up.”

Checking his watch again, John’s answer came quicker than Oliver expected.  
“Tomorrow morning, 9am. But I won’t wait for you if you’re not ready.”

Oliver nodded and watched the man jump into a black SUV. The fact that he didn’t even have any running gear was pushed to the back of his mind for a moment, he was just glad John had accepted and he got to burn off some steam.

 

Felicity returned home almost an hour later and judging by the two large bags she was carrying, Oliver could only imagine what kind of shopping spree she’d been on.  
With a broad grin, she gave Lucky a quick pat and then turned her attention on Oliver.  
“I got you something.” she announced and sat down on on the couch, waiting for him to follow.  
A little stunned he sat down next to her and watched her pull a large pile of clothes out of one of the bags at her feet.  
“I couldn’t stand seeing you in your worn down clothes all day. They killed my mood and made you look like a schmuck. And you're definitely not a schmuck. So I got you this.” she spoke and thrust a pile of brand new clothes in his lap.

He looked so adorably dumbfounded for a moment that she had to hold back a chuckle. One by one he slowly checked out the clothes she had gotten him. Along with a pair of jeans and another sweatpants, she’d also gotten him some new t-shirts, henleys and button-downs. Shopping for boxer briefs had been an especially satisfying experience for her.  
“I wanted to get you some new shoes, too, but I didn’t know your size. And the boots you’re wearing all the time look like they’re 3 sizes too big, so I didn’t want to shop based on them.” she shrugged.

Oliver had no idea what to say. Once again she’d stunned him speechless with one of her sweet gestures. And even though he wanted to tackle her to the couch and thank her properly for a good few hours, he also felt a pang of discomfort. He was almost 30 years old, but couldn’t even provide for himself. What kind of man did it make him if he couldn’t even provide the simplest things for his woman?  
“You really didn’t have to do this.”

“Yes I did,” she replied with a firm nod. “Just like I need to kiss you again.”  
Before he could throw the clothes off his lap, she sat on it, a mischievous smile on her lips.  
  


Kissing Felicity had quickly become his new favourite thing to do. She seemed to thoroughly enjoy sitting on his lap and run her hands all over his body while they were at it. Oliver was a little more hesitant to mirror her motions, but when she grabbed his hands and placed them on her hips, he allowed himself to explore her as well.

“I need a haircut,” he murmured onto her lips when she ran her fingers through his unruly strands. “I hate that it hangs in my face all the time.”

Felicity sat a little straighter at his words, looking overly excited all of a sudden.  
“Can I do it?” she grinned and even if he had wanted to say no, there was no way to deny her when she looked so adorably excited. So he nodded, not quite sure if it was a good idea to let go of his last visible shield. With the hood of his sweater gone and the beard trimmed so closely, his hair was the last remainder of making sure no one noticed him. But then again John had already seen through it, so maybe his protective shields weren’t working as good as he always used to think?

“Perfect. I need to ask John for his hair clipper. He has one with changeable comb sets so you could even pick the length you’re comfortable with.”

She sounded just like a professional hair stylist and Oliver was suddenly happy to see her so excited about something so simple like a hair cut. Besides, it’s been months since he last visited the mobile salon for the homeless that stopped every few weeks at the shelter on Korr street. He only went there when it became absolutely necessary and lately he never saw reason to. Not until he met Felicity.

 

They kissed a little longer, neither of them wanting to end the moment between them just yet. But Lucky had busied himself with his squeaky toy and the sounds he pulled from the little toy were just too funny to be ignored.  
“The Shoemakers must think I’m killing little animals in here.” she laughed, making Oliver chuckle as well. Still comfortably sitting in his lap, they both watched the little dog entertain himself on her living room floor.  
“Anything you want to do today?” she asked him after a moment of silence.

“It’s your day off from work, you I’m happy to do whatever you want to do.”

“I don’t mind sitting here all day long.”

“Neither do I.” he murmured back, hugging her a little tighter to his body.

In the end, she spent almost two hours sitting in his lap. At some point, she slid off to his side but kept her legs draped over his lap and her head resting on his shoulder while he played with her hair.  
“I used to sit like this for hours with my grams when I was little. Every night my mom had to work late, grams pulled me into her lap and read me whatever book I handed her, even if it was the most technical book about computers.” she laughed softly.

“That sounds like a fond childhood memory.”

She looked up at his words and studied him for a long moment.  
“Don’t you have any?”

Oliver didn’t reply for a long time and she could see the conflict in his eyes. He wasn’t sure what - or how much - to say to her.  
“I didn’t have a bad childhood per se,” he began and Felicity rested her head back on his shoulder while he spoke. “but my parents function a little different when it comes traditional roles. Other things were more important.”

“Like work.” she replied with a flat tone.

“Yeah. But I never missed for anything, so I can’t really complain. My sister and I both had nannies that took good care of us.”

It sounded like a lame attempt at cheering himself up, but Felicity didn’t say anything about it. Her childhood wasn’t perfect by any means, but the few fond memories she had of spending time with her mom and her grams were something she cherished dearly. She only had one parent to make her childhood a good one, but it was apparent to her that Oliver, even though he still had two parents around, had no such thing.

“Don’t you think your parents are missing you? At least my mom would miss me, even though we barely see each other. But she's still my mom, you know? As different as we might be.” she spoke softly, hoping not to cross any boundaries with him, even though he’d opened up to her a lot in the last weeks.

She expected him to mull over his answer for a while, or maybe not respond at all. So the fact that he instantly replied came almost like a shock to her.  
“No. My mother maybe, though I’m not sure about that most of the time. But I know for sure that the one person definitely missing me is my little sister. Just like I miss her. But my father sure as hell only misses his missed opportunities at work that his son would have gifted him. He doesn’t give a shit about me. He never has. It just took me 25 years to figure that out. And when I did, he thought he could scare me back into my designated place. But I’ll never let my life being dictated by someone else. Never again.”

That was the most he’d ever revealed about his family. And even though she had a small idea that the whole point of living on the street had something to do with his family, that whole confession, especially in the way his tone hardened and was laced with venom the more he revealed about his father, just moved things into a whole new light for her.  
Not wanting to pry any further, she decided to be thankful for what he shared with her and squeezed his arm once.  
“My dad left us when I was 6. Left my mom and me without a word or even an explanation. And for a long time I blamed myself for that, always thought it was my fault he left us. That I was somehow so much of a disappointment to him that he couldn’t bear to stay. Or at least that I wasn’t reason enough for him to stay, whatever troubles might have bugged him. It took me a ton of years, too, to realize that not I am the evil person in this whole scenario, but my father himself.”  
Oliver listened intently at every word she spoke. He practically hung on her lips, eager to soak up whatever life story of hers she was willing to share with him. It made talking about her past a little easier. But she also hoped that by showing him she was opening up to him, he could also open up more to her.  
“Sometimes it takes us longer than we like to find our own path in life. And even though in your case it has taken years, I think you can be thankful it has happened at all. Too many people are trapped in a life that’s not by their choosing. So regarding that, I think us two can consider ourselves the lucky ones.” she smiled and snuggled deeper into his side, ending the conversation between them. Enough heavy stuff for one evening.

 

They spent the remainder of the evening on the couch, watching Home Alone together. Oliver couldn’t remember the last time he’d sat down and watched TV, but with Felicity it just felt like the right thing to do, sitting curled up together on the couch, with the fireplace crackling in the background and a christmas movie on the screen while it was snowing outside. There was no place he’d rather be - ever. And that was a feeling he hadn’t had for years, maybe ever.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A day late! I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting, guys!
> 
> The next chapter will be back on schedule! :)

The following morning Felicity came downstairs to her usual steaming mug of coffee already waiting for her and Lucky loudly munching away on his breakfast in the kitchen, a scene she had grown very fond of in the last weeks.  
But one thing didn’t quite fit into the picture that morning.  
Oliver, dressed in what looked like two sweatpants and hoodies layered over each other, with a threadbare wool cap on his head, stood in the hallway and laced up his old boots.  
“Now what are you up to?” she asked over a sip of her coffee as soon as she spotted him.

He looked like he got caught with a hand in the cookie jar. It made Felicity even more curious.  
“Oh, uh… I asked John if I could run with him, blow off some energy.”

The utter surprise was evident on her face.  
“You’re going on a morning run? With John? Holy macaron, I definitely missed some things while I was in Central City.” she murmured into her mug and turned on her heel back into the kitchen, not in the least interested to question him further or even asking if she could join them. Not that he’d mind, but Felicity definitely didn’t strike him as the running type.  
“Tell John not to work you too hard.” she called over from the kitchen, amusement clearly hearable in her tone.

 

His outfit wasn’t perfect for running by any means, especially not with freezing temperatures, but it was the best he could do. The shoes could prove to be a problem, though.  
With two minutes to spare, John’s front door opened and the imposing man stepped out. He looked surprised for a second to see Oliver actually standing there, but that look quickly evaporated when he looked down at him and took in his running gear.  
“You sure you want to run in these?” he asked and pointed to his worn down boots.

“It’s the only pair I have.” Oliver replied with a shrug.

“What size are you?”

“11.”

Without another word, John disappeared back inside his apartment. A good two minutes later, he returned back outside, holding a pair of sneakers out to Oliver.  
“They are a little too small for me but should fit you just right.”

Too stunned to say anything, he took the shoes and quickly changed his boots for them. They indeed fit perfectly and felt heavenly soft on his feet.

 

The first two miles they didn’t speak a word. Oliver had a vague idea that John might be taking it easier than normal and he was very thankful for that. He was used to being up on his feet for several hours a day, but still lacked some condition. Leaving the small park behind them, Oliver fell into step beside John, even though keeping up with the imposing man was harder than he thought.

“You good?” John grunted from beside him, his eyes focused forward, though Oliver knew he kept a close eye on him, too.

“Yeah. Just getting used to running again.”

And with that, the conversation ended again and both men jogged their way through the streets of Starling City.  
When they arrived back in their street, Oliver was completely drenched and out of breath, his muscles screaming for a hot, relaxing shower. His stomach also grumbled loudly, much to John’s amusement.  
“I’m sure Felicity has breakfast waiting for you, so I won’t keep you any longer. Wanna do this again on wednesday? Same time?”

Since Oliver didn’t really have a filled time table, he nodded. When he started unlacing his shoes to hand them back to John, the man waved a hand at him.  
“Keep them, they’re yours. You won’t be able to keep up with me running in that work boots of yours.” John replied with a nod to the old boots still sitting on Felicity’s doorstep.

“Thanks, John. I really appreciate that... all that.”

With another understanding nod, John disappeared inside his apartment. Oliver was about to knock when Felicity opened the door and pulled him inside with a smile.  
“You’re sweaty.” she mumbled when her arms slipped around his sweat slicked back.

Oliver was a little surprised by her bold approach, not that he minded it.  
“I need a shower.”

“And I need a kiss first.” she grinned back up at him.

That he could do. Momentarily forgetting where they were and that he was still in his sweat-drenched clothes, he tipped her chin up with a finger and placed a sweet kiss on her lips. For more he really needed a shower first.

“Now this is how I like a good morning.” she murmured and stole another two quick pecks from him before she turned and walked into the kitchen. “I’ll have breakfast ready in 15.”

Taking that as his incentive, he sprinted up the stairs after a quick rub on Lucky’s belly. Getting out of these clothes and loosening the sore muscles of his legs up under the warm spray sounded too good to pass up right now, especially if a delicious breakfast was waiting for him downstairs afterward.

 

After a good breakfast and some more stolen kisses while cleaning up the kitchen, they both settled on the couch in front of the fireplace. Oliver didn’t disagree with her plan to relax for a while. The 5-mile run with John had worn him out more than he anticipated, but he was happy to have a new activity in his otherwise pretty empty schedule. And if it meant getting back in shape again, especially now that Felicity forced copious amounts of food down his throat and him gaining some pounds already, then he didn’t complain one bit.

It surprised him that she didn’t interrogate him on the fact that he went on a run with John, especially since the men didn’t exactly start off on the right foot. And of course Felicity had noticed. She was just observant like that.

 

The spent an hour on the couch browsing through Felicity’s Netflix account but neither seemed in the mood to watch any TV. Lucky also demanded to be entertained, so they decided to play with the dog instead.

When a delicious smell wafted through her apartment, probably coming from Mrs. Shoemaker baking something, Felicity got an idea.  
“We should bake cookies!” she suddenly announced and sat up from where she’d relaxed into Oliver’s shoulder.

He seemed a bit stunned by her suggestion but also mildly amused. Never before had he met a woman that could excite herself at her own ideas like Felicity did. And since she looked so excited about baking cookies, no way in hell could he deny her that.  
“I can’t say I’ve ever baked cookies before.”

“Neither have I.. But how hard could it be?”

Two hours later Felicity had to admit that baking cookies was indeed harder than she imagined. Not even they were both covered in flour, but Lucky as well. Globs of cookie batter was sticking to the fridge and cupboards, Oliver had a smear of chocolate on his cheek that was solely Felicity’s doing, while she had some in her hair. After their second failed attempt of trying to make a useable cookie batter she was about to call defeat when Oliver swatted some chocolate in her direction, effectively starting a solid food-fight in her small kitchen..

While a small tray of cookies baked away in the oven, Felicity and Oliver cleaned up the kitchen together, with Lucky making sure no batter and chocolate was left on the floor. And while they worked together in companionable silence, both with a smile on their messy faces, Oliver had to admit he couldn’t remember the last time he had so much fun. Even with the most simple things like baking cookies together, Felicity managed to put a smile on his face or make him laugh harder than he had in years. And the more that happened, the more he realized how much he missed that normal life, a life where the only thing he had to worry about was the next silly plan that he could come up with to make Felicity smile.

 

After both took a much needed shower, he watched Felicity wrap up two plates with cookies. The batter they made apparently was a little heavy on the yeast-side, making the cookies almost pancake-sized. So Felicity suggested to share them and take a plate each to her neighbors John and the Shoemakers.  
So after a change of clothes, Oliver had to stomach a sudden wave of nervousness while Felicity put on her shoes so they could head over together. At first he’d tried to talk her into going alone but of course, she was persistent. In the end, the argument about him basically living together with her so he very well could join her for the short visit, won him over.  
He was also thankful that Felicity picked the Shoemakers first, because getting to know the elderly couple first would give him some time to come to terms with the fact that they also had to get over to John’s place. And even though Felicity hadn’t asked any more questions as to why he suddenly started jogging with her neighbor after a rather restrained start between the two men, he knew very well that she was still curious. And that made him nervous, because just a few days ago he’d basically shared his entire past with John. John who was still very much a stranger to him yet for some strange reason Oliver got the vibe that he could trust him. The same John who was also one of Felicity’s closest friends. The fact that he hadn’t told her about his past yet also weighed heavily on his stomach.  
So while he was happy to follow her and deliver cookies to her neighbors that they baked together, he was also nervous for a possible elephant in the room that Felicity could pick up on as soon as they stepped into John’s place.

With Mrs. Shoemaker out for Bingo night with the book club, Felicity and Oliver enjoyed a delicious cup of tea and some funny stories from Mr. Shoemaker for half an hour. Oliver couldn’t remember ever laughing so much in such a short amount of time and made a mental note to make sure the Shoemaker’s entryway was always free of snow and ice for as long as he could take care of it.

If Felicity sensed his sudden tenseness the moment they took the steps to John’s front door, she didn’t comment on it. Instead, she knocked on the door once and smiled as soon as said door opened.  
John cast a quick confused glance from Felicity over her shoulder towards Oliver, then back to the blonde grinning at him.  
“We made cookies.” she proudly announced and held up a plate with several saucer-sized cookies on it.

“I was expecting to be lectured about jesus when you guys knocked. This is so much better.” the man joked and stepped aside to let them in. Felicity didn’t hesitate to step inside, but Oliver remained frozen on the spot for a moment. When John looked him square in the eye and gave the tiniest of a nod, his shoulders relaxed again. The man wouldn’t reveal his secrets to Felicity.  
They sat together in his living room over a drink when Felicity addressed both men sitting opposite of her.  
“Now I’m curious to hear where that sudden friendship between the two of you comes from. Not that I mind,” she quickly added, “quite the opposite, actually. I’m just curious as I’m sure just a few days ago, I could’ve sworn there was a little animosity between you two.”

She looked genuinely curious and not the least bit irritated, something that made Oliver’s tense shoulders relax in an instant. He looked over at John for a second and when both men almost shrugged at each other, Oliver decided to go for it.  
“We just didn’t know each other yet. And running together is more fun than doing it alone.”

John scoffed.  
“Yeah, if you could keep up with my pace.”

“I’m working on it.” Oliver nodded back, a determination on in his eyes that Felicity truly enjoyed seeing. There weren’t many things Oliver was determined of, it seemed to her, so she was happy that he was finally finding some things and hobbies for himself.

“And now you’re running buddies.” she stated, still a little confused as to how that bromance in the making suddenly came from. Not that she minded.

“Now we’re running buddies.” John nodded. “You could join us, too, you know.”

“Over my dead body!” she laughed, although Oliver didn’t seem opposed of that idea. But it wasn’t the first time John had asked her and it probably wouldn’t be the last time she said no. Yoga once a week was the most she could do without having to force herself up and she would be damned if she started running through the snow with these two giants.

 

Oliver’s mood had shifted significantly when they left John’s apartment and went back to her place a short while later.  
“You seemed a little tense when we knocked on John’s door.”

He had so many explanations to that comment, but none of them felt like slipping off his tongue.  
“I was just nervous what you think about me and him working out together. He’s your friend, after all.”

Felicity stopped short at his words and turned around to face him.  
“Oliver, him being my friend doesn’t take away the fact that he can be your friend as well. Only because I know him longer than you doesn’t mean I don’t want you guys getting to know each other.”

Where that sudden doubt in him had come from, she had no idea. She could only imagine he didn’t have many real friends in his old life, something that made her incredibly sad for him. Opening the front door, they both got inside, greeted by a frantic Lucky in the hallway.  
“You can be friends with whomever you want. And if your friend happens to be one of my friends, even better. Because it means that spending time together will be a lot easier and more relaxed since we all already know each other.”

Oliver nodded at her words, still a little stunned at how okay she was with him becoming friends with John. The last time he became friends with someone else’s friends, things got real nasty real quick and he definitely didn’t want a repeat performance of that. Not by a long shot.

While Felicity got the fireplace heated up, Oliver poured her a glass of her favourite red and walked over to the couch where she sat snuggled up already. They hadn’t talked about their relationship yet and he had no idea what the protocol would deem proper in that moment, but thankfully Felicity took that decision off him when she threw her blanket over his legs as well and snuggled into his side, her head resting on his shoulder. It felt so right having her so close to him, sitting with her and Lucky at their feet on the couch with no care in the world that he never wanted to move again.

“I have a proposition to make,” Felicity suddenly began, making him look down at where her head rested. She was looking up at him with soft, warm eyes that didn’t hold a trace of evil in them.

He had no idea what she was up to, but curiosity got the best of him. “Propose away.”

She sat a little straighter before she spoke and made sure to have his sole attention.  
“Okay, so I know you might not be comfortable with my idea, which is why I would be willing to re-negotiate at a later date. But for now…” she stopped and nervously nibbled on her lower lip before she continued. It made him want to kiss her senseless but first he willed her to continue whatever she had to say.  
“For now I’d like you to stay here rather than going to the subway with Lucky every morning.”

Oliver’s eyes went wide in surprise at her words. Out of everything, he clearly didn’t expect to hear that from her. For a fleeting moment he even feared she might have made up her mind and wanted to kick him out, but actually hearing that she wanted him to stay all day rather than being out on the street... yeah, that completely stunned him. So much, that he opened and closed his mouth like a fish on land but no words were coming out.

“I thought about it a lot the last few days and I just want you two safe. And with that weather outside right now, I don’t feel like you two are safe while I’m at work. Especially since you have no real way to reach me, should something happen. So I figured you could stay here instead and make yourself at home with Lucky until I’m back from work. You already have a key, so it’s not that I’m caging you in or something like that, -”

“I don’t know if I’m comfortable with being in your home all day while you’re at work.” he confessed with such a small voice, Felicity almost didn’t hear him. “I already feel like imposing on you by staying here, eating your food and using your hot water without giving anything back. I don’t want to be any more of a burden to you than I already am.”

Anger welled up inside her at his words, but she couldn’t let that show yet. It would only effectively end a conversation she was dying to have with him for a few days now. No, she needed another approach to convince him that her idea was, in fact, a great and logical one.  
“I’m going to ignore the part where you called yourself a burden for now. I don’t want you sitting around here all day with nothing to do. But maybe we could compromise.”

And with that, she had piqued his interest again.

“We can stock up the fridge and pantry and you could cook for us. Lord knows that stove doesn’t get used as much as it should anyway.”  
When she didn’t see him starting to object to her idea, she continued.  
“And with all the snow I’m sure the Shoemakers won’t mind having their front steps shoveled. I certainly don’t.” she winked at him and stole a quick kiss from his lips.  
“And then there’s Lucky who certainly won’t mind a long walk every morning and if you’re still bored I’m sure we could find some more things for you to do in and around the house if you still feel like needing to do something.”  
If it meant putting him at ease, she would even rip open the two cracked steps of her stairway so he had something to do and wouldn’t feel useless. But as long as he was okay with what she came up for now, wrecking her house was just her last-chance-backup-plan.  
“And - and I can’t believe I’m really saying this right now - as soon as you have a job again I would even accept it if you wanted to pay some rent. If paying me 50 bucks every month would put your mind at rest then boy, I’m not going to argue with you over that if it shuts up that bullshit about using my hot water and calling yourself a burden on anyone.”

“I’m not the best cook.” he replied after a long while and Felicity could see the debate going on inside him. Part of him obviously liked the idea but he still seemed a little uncomfortable at being able to be able to contribute in some way.

“The pasta from last night disagrees with you on that.” Felicity replied with a warm smile, remembering just how delicious the dinner was that Oliver had surprised her with. She wanted that more often, every night, if possible.  
“And it would make my workday a lot more bearable knowing I’d come home to you two and a delicious dinner, especially that you made it.”

Her sweet words seemed to win him over finally. He leaned in and placed a sweet, soft kiss on her lips, as if he wanted to make sure she was really with him in that moment and not just a figment of his imagination.  
“And like I said, as soon as the weather gets better and you feel restless to get out again, I’m willing to renegotiate. I don’t want you to feel a prisoner in my home and I don’t want to turn you into a whitewashed homemaker. If you want to leave and do things, you have a key. It would just make me feel a lot better knowing Lucky and you are fine.”

After a long moment of looking into each other's eyes, Oliver finally nodded.  
“But as soon as the weather gets better, I’ll start hitting the job market again.”

“Fine by me.” she grinned back.  
‘As soon as the weather gets better’ would mean at least another few weeks for her to come up with an idea to get Oliver a job that wouldn’t be such a risk and rip-off like the odd day-laborer work he did.

 

They fell into an easy routine together after that evening. After stocking up the pantry and her fridge, Oliver surprised Felicity with dinner every day she returned back home from work. It helped him a lot to have Mrs. Shoemaker living next door because even though he succeeded making her a delicious pasta, his cooking skills pretty much ended with that. Armed with one of Mrs. Shoemakers cookbooks, he managed to make some delicious meals he never guessed he could pull off. It also surprised him how easily he fell into the role as the houseman, something he’d never done before. It had either been maids cooking for him, or he was simply too busy to bother cooking for himself.  
With Felicity though, everything felt perfectly simple and normal. And after 4 years on the street he really enjoyed simple and normal.

But with christmas - or, in Felicity’s case, hanukkah - fast approaching, Oliver also had the growing desire to get a gift for her. And that presented him with his biggest problem to date - he didn’t have any money to buy her something. Actually, he didn’t have any money period.  
When he headed out to another run with John, something he was also doing three times a week now, he asked her closest friend for help. And after explaining his predicament, John had an easy solution for Oliver.  
“You handy with plumbing tools?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Awesome, you’re hired. My kitchen sink is leaking for weeks now and I neither have the time nor the ambition to fix it.”

Oliver could imagine that it was a lame attempt to help him out but he wasn’t about to fight him on it. John offered him a job, so he damn well take it.  
The next morning after sending Felicity off to work with a coffee and a ton of kisses, Oliver knocked on John’s door for his job. The fact that it took him all of 5 minutes to fix the leaking sink confirmed him once more that John could’ve done it himself easily, and when he got handed a 50$ bill, Oliver was about to start a major argument with him.  
“Would you rather I give the money to Felicity and have her discuss it out with you?” John smirked at him, knowing full well Oliver would never win that argument with her. So with a sigh, he took the money and thanked him for it.  
“Oh, and I got these for you, if you want them.” John added and pulled out a gym bag full of dumb bells in various sizes. “I’m not using them anyway and thought they might help you blow off some extra energy.”

Refusing was once again on the forefront of his mind, but this time, Oliver could see that John had a point. Getting back in shape, especially after he saw the way Felicity’s eyes had lingered on his bare arms a few days ago, had become his number one priority. And with enough free time on his hands every morning, a bag full of weights seemed like the perfect outlet for that.

With 50$ in his pocket, he tried to figure out what to get Felicity for hanukkah. He wanted the gift to be personal, and it was clear to him that she didn’t care much for fancy presents, so something that he could create himself would work perfectly. He just had no idea what to get yet.

One morning after she went to work, he collared up Lucky and made his way over to the small antique shop on the other side of the park. He had no idea what to get her yet, so idea-hunting it had to be for now.  
That he’d actually return home stuffed with goods and 40$ lighter he wouldn’t have guessed. But the moment he entered the small store and set eyes on the framed painting standing in a far corner of the room, he knew he had to get it.

Which was why he found himself on her patio an hour later, freeing her small table from the snow so he could start to work on his gift for her. It would probably take him a few days to sand down the old frame and paint it in fresh color, especially since he could only work on it in the early hours of each day, but that at least gave him a job for the next days.

 

Coming home and expecting the delicious smell of whatever Oliver was cooking that day was something Felicity had grown very fond of in the last week. So she was a little taken aback when not the smell of food but rather one of paint wafted through the house when she entered the hallway and greeted Lucky. Lucky who, for some reason, was covered in light pink splotches of paint.  
Shrugging off her coat and boots, she made her way into the living room.  
“Oliver?”

“Laundry room.”

The sight that greeted her when she stepped into the small room almost gave her a heart attack. Oliver, bare from the waist up, stood on her small ladder and just finished painting the last corner of her room in the soft pink color she’d picked out almost half a year ago, but never found the time nor motivation to actually put on the walls.  
Oliver wasn’t looking at her but kept his focus on the wall so he wouldn’t brush her white stucco ceiling while getting the last finishing touches done. It gave Felicity time to admire him a little longer. He had put on a good amount of weight from the first time she’d seen him shirtless and the regular running sessions with John also seemed to have some effect on his body, as the muscles on his back and arms looked a lot more pronounced than she’d ever seen them.  
_Make sure you’re not drooling on your shirt, woman!_

When Oliver turned around though, a small laugh bubbled out of her. The tips of his blonde hair were covered in pink paint, as well as his nose and one eyebrow. He looked adorably silly.

“Oliver, what -”

“Do you like it? I saw the cans of paint and thought I’d make myself useful.” he replied a little hesitantly, looking around the small room.

Felicity was so enthralled by his bare chest that she didn’t register what he was saying at first. But as soon as she saw the hesitant look in his eyes and the nervous twitch of the paintbrush in his hand, her focus went back on his face. And the fact that he’d taken the time to finally finish something she had dreaded to do for months.

“I love it.” she smiled and forced her eyes away from his body for once to take in the room again. “But you didn’t have to do it.”

“I like to help.”

“And so did Lucky it seems.” she laughed when the dog barged into the small room, still covered in pink paint splotches.

Oliver picked up the dog and pressed him to his naked chest, ruffling his fur while Felicity’s ovaries went into overdrive. Holy hell, could he get any hotter than that?  
When Lucky demanded to be put down again, Oliver took a step forward, bringing him closer to Felicity. The dog rushed out of the room, leaving them alone once again. And even though it smelled like paint and fumes, all she could focus on was Oliver.

Taking a step towards him, she slowly placed a hand on his sweaty, paint-stained chest. His heart wasn’t racing under her palm, but she could feel the heartbeat pick up the moment her hand landed on him.  
“Thank you for doing that for me,” she whispered looking up at him. “And as much as I enjoy coming home to seeing you in my kitchen, I have to admit I love seeing this scene more.”

Before Oliver could utter out a single word, Felicity raised up on her tiptoes and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. She had no idea if he might pull back, considering that he was sweaty and maybe a bit uncomfortable, not that she cared about that. But he didn’t. In fact, he instantly dropped the paintbrush and deepened the kiss and stepped forward, pressing her back into the washing machine. While their tongues danced with each other, she wrapped her arms around his neck and he lifted her up and sat her on the edge of the washer.

Never before had they made out like that, but neither seemed able to stop now. With her legs firmly wrapped around his hips, she pulled him closer into her body, her hands exploring his sweaty back. But not only Felicity grew bolder. One of Oliver’s hands pulled her blouse free from her skirt and sneaked under it. The moment his fingers touched her ribs, an electric jolt shot through her body. He didn’t immediately go for her bra or started fondling her breasts. Instead, he kept his touch feather light, traveling up and down her ribs and around to her back as high as her clothes would allow him.  
She just couldn’t help herself. One of her hands sneaked down from his neck along his back until she reached his jeans-covered backside. Slipping her hand inside the back pocket, she gave his ass a soft squeeze.

A groan left him, pulling his lips from hers. His blue eyes were almost black with desire when he looked down at her, his hands slowly removing from under her shirt.  
“You make me go crazy.” he whispered onto her lips and with another quick kiss, he stepped back from her, ending the heated moment between them.  
“I’m sweaty.” he mumbled.

“I know. I like it.”

“I should probably take a shower.”  
And with that, he left the room and quickly disappeared upstairs.

“Yeah, me too.” Felicity mumbled to herself and watched Oliver walk up the stairs. The urge to follow him and see if that ass was just as firm without the jeans covering them was almost too big to resist.  
In the end, she took that shower in her own bathroom, her thoughts still drifting back to what had happened in the laundry room. She wondered why he’d stopped her, even though she could feel the unmistakeable evidence of his desire brushing her thighs. And it felt like a lot of desire to her. But still something made him pull back from her when she very much wouldn’t have minded to take things even further.

 

Oliver was already sitting on the couch when she came downstairs. She was dressed so casually in sweatpants and a fleece jacket, her hair tied into a messy bun on top of her head. Never before had she been so relaxed and confident to walk around without an ounce of makeup and in her most comfy sweatpants with a man in her presence. But with Oliver it all felt so naturally easy.

When she saw him fidgeting with his towel dry hair, she couldn’t hold back a small chuckle. The way he tried to pull the rest of the dried, pink paint out of his hair tips was just too cute to witness. And it gave her an idea.  
“We’re going to cut your hair now.”

That made him look up in surprise.  
“Now?”

“Right now.” she grinned and went over to the hallway. “I just need to borrow John’s trimmer. Give me a second.”

And with that, she was out the door, leaving a slightly stunned Oliver behind on the couch.  
It should have worried him to cut off his hair, the last barrier and physical shield from the outside world. But for some reason it didn’t. He knew Felicity was excited to cut his hair and truthfully, he was annoyed by its length as well. But cutting off his hair after he already trimmed his beard could mean the risk of being spotted and recognized easier. He didn’t want that, especially when he was out with Felicity.  
But then again did he even WANT to go out that much? Not lately, at least. And with her latest proposal about him staying home indefinitely, he at least didn’t have to worry being spotted out in the city any time soon.

Felicity came back into the apartment, a grin on her lips and swing in her step that made Oliver stare for a moment. She looked so adorably excited about cutting his hair off, he couldn’t even say no to her, not even if he wanted to.  
Armed with a barrage of towels she pulled out one of her dining room chairs and arranged it in the middle of the room.  
“Sir? Will you please have a seat?” she spoke with a fake male voice and motioned to the chair, looking all too excited.

Oliver had to hold back a smile when he took a seat. He didn’t want to feed her excitement, but the way she grinned at him was just infectious.

She draped two of the towels over his shoulders and grabbed the trimmer from the table.  
“Alright, so we have all these different extensions to decide on the length,” she began and started to pull out several tools. “How short do you want it?”

He was at a loss there. Up until then, he always let the hairdresser decide what to do with his hair. Looking a little helpless at the different extensions and then up at her, he shrugged.

“Well then we’ll start with the longest setting and work our way up until you like it.” she firmly announced and started setting up her work tools.

 

Half an hour and ⅔ of his hair later, Oliver was actually stunned seeing himself in the mirror for the first time. With the cut hair and cropped beard for the first time in years he looked the closest to how he’d been looking before ending up on the street.  
A wave of sudden panic hit him. What if looking like before meant things would go back to the way they were before? He couldn’t do that. He would never do that again.

Thankfully, Felicity’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts.  
“Do you like it? It’s not too short?”  
She looked almost shy, a little nervous, all of a sudden.

He studied himself again, admiring the way she almost perfectly cropped his hair to one length.  
“It looks really good. Hasn’t been that short in quite a while.”

“But it’s not too short?”  
There it was again, that sweet but uncertain voice of hers. It made her sound and look years younger. And while he loved seeing the normally so confident Felicity nervous every now and then, he actually preferred her the kick-ass confident woman she usually was.

“No. I like it. It’ll just take me a moment to get used to.”

She breathed a sigh of relief and loosened the death grip on the hair trimmer that still sat in her hands. With a beaming smile at him, she started cleaning up her work tools and packed everything together.

 

After returning the trimmer back to John, they both started preparing dinner together. Over the course of the last week, Felicity had grown so used to eating homemade food, especially the delicious stuff Oliver prepared, that bringing home take out had become less and less of an occasion.

Seated at the table Oliver had set up, along with a candle and soft music playing in the background, the whole setting felt more like a date than any date she had had in the past 5 years. And with his new hairstyle, she just couldn’t help but glance over at him ever so often, especially when she was sure he wouldn’t notice.  
His long hair had hidden so many beautiful features about him that she hadn’t noticed before. Features that made him even more attractive to her than he already was.  
_Oh lord help me._


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't want to spoil much so I'm making this note super short...  
> This chapter is the one I probably have been the most excited and nervous to post (along with the following one).  
> I'm SUPER curious to hear what you guys think! ❤ ❤

Oliver was putting away the table cloths when he spotted some more board games stored away in her cupboard. And since she was beating him at Scrabble each and every time lately, he was suddenly very intrigued to try out another game, just to see if her lucky streak was solely based on one boardgame.  
But when he was about to pull out the game, something else also tumbled out of the shelf. The futuristic piece of metal and platines looked awfully foreign in his hands. He studied it for a moment, the board game in his lap long forgotten.  
He’d also not realized that Felicity was standing next to him, watching him intently while he analyzed the piece of metal.

“That’s my very first computer.” she spoke softly and sat down next to him on the floor.

Her words made him frown. That thing most definitely didn’t look like a computer to him.  
“I built it myself when I was 7. My mom couldn’t afford to buy me one, so I built one myself.” she shrugged and took the piece out of his hands. “This is just the main board, I still need to attach it to a monitor and stuff, but it still runs nonetheless. I couldn’t bear to throw it away and when I got older it just reminded me to focus on my dreams whenever I felt a little down. It’s like my most prized possession and the only thing I took with me when I moved out of my mom’s place. Well, this, and my clothes of course.” she laughed softly.

Oliver was silent for a long while after she spoke. He couldn’t even remember the stuff he’d created as a kid, but he knew all too well what she meant about her most prized possession and the fact that it cheered her up and motivated her whenever she felt down.

They moved to the couch and built up the monopoly board together when Oliver’s voice broke the silence between them.  
“I used to have a most prized possession as well.” he spoke with a soft, low voice, his eyes looking lost in thought for a moment.

Felicity’s head whipped around at his confession. It came so unexpected, she immediately stopped setting up the game and listened to him, hoping he would elaborate some more.

“And just like with you, it was the only thing I took with me, along with some of my clothes.”

“You don’t have it any longer?”

He shook his head, a deep, sad frown covering his face.  
“The person who stole my backpack took it from me. And even though it’s just a simple photo, my life hasn’t been the same ever since I lost it.”  
The frown on his face only intensified the more he spoke.  
“So I can fully understand why this computer is so precious to you.” he looked up and tried to smile at her, even though Felicity could see clearly that the smile was strained and forced.

There were so many things she wanted to ask him about that photo but for once she willed him to make the first move and open up to her without her having to ask first.  
She could see the internal struggle in Oliver, the argument he was having with himself to do just that. But before he even shook himself out of his reverie, Felicity knew that the moment to tell her hadn’t come yet. She gave him all the time he’d need, of course she did. But for how much longer could she accept him into her life and her heart without knowing what was so obviously was a big part of his life, ultimately making it a part of hers, too?

 

Much to his dismay, Oliver didn’t only not stand a chance against Felicity at monopoly, she practically crushed him in every round they played. He finally called defeat after their fourth round, much to her amusement.  
“Want me to kiss it all better?” she murmured onto his pouty lips before placing a sweet kiss on them. Now that was something Oliver enjoyed a lot more than losing every single damn game against her.

They snuggled together on her couch, surrounded by the crackling of her fireplace and the soft glow of the candle burning on the coffee table. But as much as she willed herself to relax, she just couldn’t get the thoughts about Oliver’s past out of her head. And the more time he needed to open up to her, the more she found herself wondering what could be such a big deal that he couldn’t tell her, even after all the time they had spent together already.  
With her head filled with worry and confusion Felicity went to bed that night, her thoughts once again wandering off to Oliver sleeping just one room down the hallway and what must have happened to him to have such major trust issues with everyone.

 

Just days before christmas, Felicity finally found the time to head over to John’s to chat a little. With Oliver out walking Lucky, she knew she had roughly an hour before his return. So she took the chance and headed over to knock on her friend’s front door.

John was happy to see her and immediately wrapped her in a bear hug, even though a small frown came over his face at not seeing anyone with her.  
“Oliver out?”

“Yeah, he’s taking Lucky for a walk, so I figured I took the time to pay you a visit.” she smiled and took a seat on his couch. “It’s been a while since we’ve had time to talk.”

“So how are things going?” John casually began and handed her a mug of tea before taking a seat opposite of her on the couch.

Felicity leveled him with a look and raised eyebrow while blowing on her tea to cool it down. It wasn’t like John to be so polite and she knew it. Normally he instantly went for the jugular, no beating around the bush.  
“You mean how things are going with me and Oliver.”

The corner of his mouth quirked up at her blunt reply.  
“Yeah, busted. But first and foremost I worry about you.”

She smiled at him, even though John could see that the smile was a little strained, not as carefree as he knew it from her.  
“Things are great. I mean, work slowed down a little, the holidays are coming up, ... there isn’t much for me to complain about.” she shrugged.

“And with Oliver? How are things going between you two?”

With a small sigh, she set her mug back on the table and fidgeted with her hands in her lap.  
“Things are really good. Great, actually.” she smiled shyly. It took her a moment to continue but when she did, the smile and small blush instantly vanished from her face. “But there are so many things in Oliver’s life that he hasn’t told me about yet. Huge things, that for some reason still affect him now. And I’m sitting on my hands, patiently, for weeks now, trying not to pry and push him to telling me what he’s not ready to tell yet. But the longer it takes, the more it feels like whatever he’s hiding could seriously affect us, our relationship - or however you might call this thing between us. And then I have to ask myself… how can I be with someone who doesn’t fully trust me?”

John immediately rounded the table and sat on the couch next to her.  
“Of course he trusts you. In fact, I’m pretty sure he doesn’t trust anyone but you.”

Felicity sighed, not quite believing his words, but nodded nonetheless. For weeks, Oliver had only given her breadcrumbs of information about his past and while she realized that he obviously had a hard time speaking about it, she couldn’t help but feel a little lost as well. He almost never started to talk by himself, she usually had to start conversation and pry information out of him. And while she was thankful for how much Oliver had opened up to her already, she couldn’t help but feel to wanting to know more. She didn’t even know his last name yet, for god’s sakes!

“Felicity,” John began and took one of her hands in his. “I’ve spent quite a bit of time with that guy lately and can see that under that closed off behavior, there’s an honest and genuine guy hiding behind it. Whatever bothers him, just give him a little more time. It seems like he’s been through a lot and if my time in Afghanistan has taught me anything, then it’s that coming home and opening up to friends and family about the horrible things you’ve had to witness and endure is a hell of a lot easier said than done. He’ll come around, eventually. If he wouldn’t he’d be long gone, trust me.  
“Just know when to give him space and when to push for more. Maybe he just needs a gentle push in the right direction. And lord knows he didn’t have anyone push him to open up when he lived on the street!” he chuckled, earning even a small laugh from Felicity.

John’s assuring words seemed to do the trick. If anyone knew how hard it’d be to speak about traumas from the past, it was him.  
Just like she’d given John all the time he needed to open up to her when they first got to know each other, she had to do the same with Oliver.  
And yeah, if Oliver wasn’t interested in opening up to her, he’d be long gone by now, no matter how comfortable the bed in her guest room was. Especially with the amount of information she managed to pry out of him already.  
Someone who had no intention to reveal his past to her wouldn’t bother to answer uncomfortable questions about himself.

 

Deciding to take her last vacation days of the year to make sure she wouldn’t have to bother coming in to work before the new year, Felicity finished her last day at work with a swing in her step and smile on her lips. So much, that even her assistant noticed.  
“What’s with that smile? Eager to spend some days off with hottie Oliver?” Katie grinned and waggled her eyebrows.

“First and foremost I’m eager to get away from work for a bit.”

“Yeah, total shocker. This is actually the first full vacation week you’re taking ever since I started working here.” Katie smiled and got up from behind her desk to follow Felicity to the elevators. “So are you guys doing something? Going somewhere?”

Normally she kept most of her private life that, private. But for once, she didn’t mind sharing some details with her assistant.  
“No, but we decorated my place last week. We’ll just spend the holidays at home. Actually, I’m about to head out to pick up the gifts I’ve gotten for Oliver and Lucky.”  
Thinking about what she had picked out for them made her smile. It had been a spur of the moment purchase when she’d been on lunch break a few days earlier, but the moment she saw it, she knew she had to buy the stuff for Oliver and Lucky.

Hugging her assistant goodbye after promising to keep in touch during the holidays, Felicity was happy to leave the company behind for a few days. She made a quick stop at the grocery store to stock up on a few items for the hanukkah and christmas stockings, as well as arranging delivery for Oliver’s and Lucky’s gifts to John’s apartment so Oliver wouldn’t notice and then made her way back home, feeling more excited to celebrate the holidays than she’d ever been before.

 

The dress she had chosen to wear for their christmas dinner was one she had never worn before. But the moment she saw the red number with the tight fit bodice and pencil skirt and the chic cutouts on the upper back, she knew she had to have it. It may be a little too much for work, but she was sure a perfect occasion would come for her to wear the dress. And what better occasion to wear it than for christmas dinner with Oliver?

 

Oliver was equally dressed to impress when she came downstairs. Even Lucky was wearing a cute little black bowtie. She had no idea where Oliver pulled that off, but it made Felicity laugh softly. He looked up at that and came out of the kitchen to greet her, his eyes moving up and down her body in a terribly slow motion.  
“Wow. You look... stunning.”

A small blush crept up her cheeks at his appraisal. She softly ran her hands over the dress, smoothing out invisible wrinkles. Seeing him standing there, openly checking her out like that, also gave her the chance to fully take in his appearance for the first time. He was dressed in jeans and a light grey checkered plaid shirt, looking so handsome with his new haircut and whole appearance.  
“Well you clean up nicely yourself.”

The slight discomfort that Oliver had expressed when she’d gotten him the clothes had completely vanished over the weeks. He’d also put on a significant amount of weight and muscle lately, more and more filling out the shirts she had gotten him. And heck, touching the muscles of his arms and back and tracing her fingers along it was something she’d quickly gotten addicted to, so she wasn’t one to complain. Quite the opposite, actually.

Pulling herself out of her reverie, she cleared her throat and motioned for the kitchen.  
“Do you need help with anything?”

“I’m almost done. And I don’t want you to stain your dress.”

“Alright, then I’ll set up the table.”

With a small peck on his lips while grabbing tablecloths and dishware, Felicity prepared the table, taking her time to light up some candles and put on soft christmas tunes in the background.

Oliver stopped short for a moment, two plates in hand, when he saw the setup Felicity had prepared. With the fairy lights softly twinkling in the backyard, partially covered in snow and the candlelight and fireplace covering the entire room in a warm glow, Felicity looked more beautiful than he’d ever seen her, standing there next to the table, an almost nervous smile on her lips.  
He had to force himself to move again or he would’ve stared at her for hours. Clearing his throat, he willed his feet to carry them to the table and set the plates down.  
Pulling out her seat, he waited for her until she was sitting comfortably, then took his own. Thankfully his three years on the road hadn’t done anything to his manners.

The dinner started with an awkward silence between them, something Felicity hadn’t experienced with him yet. But then again the setting they found themselves in was more romantic than it had ever been.

“This is the first time I’m celebrating the holidays like this.” Felicity spoke softly after taking a sip of her red wine. It instantly broke the silence and tension between them.

“Not even with your mom?”

She dabbed the corners of her mouth with the napkin and shook her head.  
“Never like this. My mom usually bought some pre-made food and a cake and we spent the entire evening on the couch watching black and white movies. Occasionally, a bottle or two of wine also made an appearance.”

“I’ve never had it like this either.”

“Not even with a past girlfriend?” She was genuinely surprised. When Oliver told her that his family wasn’t very interested in family traditions, she imagined he at least got to celebrate with friends or maybe even a girlfriend. With the way he looked she couldn’t believe there wasn’t at least one or two serious girlfriends in the past.

Her question made him sit a little straighter, his whole posture suddenly more rigid and stiff.  
“There had been one girlfriend. But it was never like this with her. Not that I’m comparing her to you.” he quickly added, almost looking shocked at himself for even possibly implying that.

“Laurel?”

It shouldn’t have surprised him that Felicity guessed that right. She was just that observant. And since he apparently yelled her name while Felicity was taking care of him in his fever, it came to no surprise that she remembered.  
“Yeah. But our relationship wasn’t a normal one. We’ve been dating on and off and never really celebrated christmas together until later in the relationship, when we were living together.”

“How long have you been together?”

Oliver carefully cut into his steak, obviously pondering on his next words.  
“For the better part of seven years, but more serious during the last two.”

She had no idea what to make of that statement. Did that mean they were just casually dating? Was that something that Oliver was interested in with her as well? And if so, was that something for her?  
“Wow, that’s a long time. Especially at such a young age.”

He didn’t reply, only nodded and went on mangling his poor steak.

For a long moment, Felicity fidgeted with what she wanted to say next. She was nervous and unsure if she might be overstepping a line, especially since this was their christmas dinner. But then again so much time had passed where they’d gotten close to each other that she began to think it was getting more and more okay to ask some more inquisitive questions, even if it meant making Oliver uncomfortable momentarily.

She slowly put down her cutlery, dabbed the corners of her mouth with her napkin and took a small sip of her red wine, mentally preparing herself to ask him what she had on his mind.  
“Can I be blunt?”

Oliver’s eyes snapped up in surprise at her words, looking even a little confused for a second.  
“Of course.” he nodded.

“What made you become so angry with Laurel?”

At the deep frown lines forming on his forehead, she was quick to explain further.

“I mean, judging by how angry you were with me when you thought she was me. And after hearing how long you two have been together… I just can’t imagine what must happen between two people to hold so much anger towards a person you once used to love.” she sighed and shrugged one shoulder apologetically.

Oliver didn’t reply for a long time. He stared at her, even after she finished speaking, but Felicity couldn’t figure out what might went through his mind at that moment. The longer he stayed silent, the more she regretted asking him in the first place, especially over dinner in that romantic setting. But then he surprised her when he actually spoke up.  
“I promise I’m going to answer that question later, but I’d rather not ruin this lovely evening with that.”

That probably was as good as she’d get it but since she fully expected him to not answer at all, she definitely didn’t complain. Promising to get back to that topic later definitely counted as a step forward for her.

 

They finished dinner together in silence after that, and even though Felicity feared she might have ruined the mood between them, Oliver seemed as relaxed as before. It also gave her confidence to inquire a bit more thoroughly about his past the next time.

When Felicity got up to help him clear the table, Oliver had to forcefully usher her out of the kitchen.  
“You’re going to stain that beautiful dress.” he murmured, took the plates from her and stole a quick kiss before pushing her back into the living room.

With a small laugh, she went back and took the time to race upstairs to place Oliver’s and Lucky’s gifts under the small tree she had gotten for him. He just rounded the corner with her refilled glass of wine in hand when she sat down on the couch, being entertained by one dapper looking Lucky.

He took a seat next to her and handed her the wine glass, looking a little uncomfortable all of a sudden.  
“I’ll be right back.”

Felicity watched him get up from the couch with lightning speed while she sipped on her wine. He sprinted upstairs, making her wonder what he was up to, but when he returned back a minute later holding something wrapped in terribly cheesy christmas wrapping paper, she looked at him with shock and surprise.

“I got something for you,” he began while nervously shuffling from foot to foot. If she hadn’t been so transfixed to whatever he was holding in his hands, she probably would’ve laughed at his antics.  
“And I know you’re jewish and normally get multiple gifts during hanukkah, but this was the only thing I could afford.”

His words made her frown, even though he most probably didn’t mean it like that. But she didn’t want him to feel obligated to give her a hanukkah gift for each day, just because it was the jewish tradition. In fact, she didn’t expect to receive anything from him at all.  
“Oliver, I didn’t even expect you to get me something, please don’t feel bad for not following the standard hanukkah proceedings.” she spoke softly with a smile, motioning towards the wrapped gift in his hands. “This is wonderful.”

“You haven’t even opened it yet.” he chuckled softly.

“Well then gimme!” she grinned and made grabby hands in his direction. He was still a little hesitant, but in the end handed over the large but surprisingly not as heavy package.

The wrapping paper looked absolutely cheesy, with little elves and reindeer dancing the can-can and singing trees surrounding them. She had no idea where he found that, but she loved it.  
Carefully, she opened the paper on the back and unwrapped whatever was hiding underneath. The more layers of paper she peeled off, the more her curiosity got piqued.

When a beautiful, antique frame came to light under the wrapper, her eyes went wide.  
_Where in the world did he find such an exquisite piece?_

As soon as the paper was gone, she turned it around in her lap, revealing a beautiful, old painting of what appeared to by the skyline of Starling City, framed in an antique, dark wood frame that looked just like the drawers of her bedroom, matching the inventory of her house perfectly.  
“Oliver, this is... this is incredible!”

The nervousness and tension that had been weighing on his shoulders ever since he came back downstairs completely vanished from him as soon as he heard her words. He visibly relaxed, even took a step forward to have a set next to her on the couch so they could both admire the painting together.  
“I refurbished the frame, but the rest is still original. The lady who sold it told me said the painting had been done around the 80’s, so it’s a little outdated. But I saw it and immediately had to think of you, so buying it was a no-brainer.” he shrugged slightly, looking almost a little boyish while he spoke.

Felicity couldn’t take her eyes off the beautiful painting. Many times she had roamed galleries and exhibitions, trying to find the perfect accessory for her still empty hallways, but never found anything to match her tastes.  
And now Oliver gave her the most perfect painting, one he’d even had a hand in creating - it made her suddenly more nervous about what she had gotten for him. He had put so much time and effort into refurbishing this framed painting, but what if he didn’t like or appreciate what she’d done for him, especially since her gift was so far off the norm of traditional gifts? With the sudden nervousness she could relate to Oliver’s tension earlier because now she very much felt it herself.

Carefully she set the painting down on the recliner and turned to face Oliver. Framing his face between her hands, she placed a sweet, warm kiss on his lips before slowly pulling away so she could look him in the eyes.  
“That’s probably the most awesome gift I have ever gotten.” she smiled at him, eliciting a little blush on his cheeks. “And I also got something for Lucky and you. It might be tough to beat what you’ve gotten me though, but I hope you like it nonetheless.”

Before he could say anything she got up and walked through the living room, straight for two gifts waiting on the floor that he hadn’t seen sitting there before. His eyes widened when he saw her heaving up the large box, making him wonder what the hell must be hiding in there.  
After placing the large box in front of his feet, she placed a much smaller one in front of Lucky, who immediately started sniffing the box with curiosity.

“Go ahead, open it.” she grinned at Oliver’s still dumbfounded look, even after she sat back next to him. “You might want to open Lucky’s gift first, though. He seems to have trouble managing it himself.” she chuckled and looked over at the dog who had already started munching on the gift ribbons.

Oliver knelt down and unwrapped the small box, all under Lucky’s watchful eyes.  
When the wrapper revealed two metal food bowls with the name ‘Sir Lucky’ engraved in them, Oliver’s eyes went wide. Lucky seemed more interested in the dog treats, though.  
“I figured he deserved to have his own food bowls, since he’s dining with us every day.” Felicity spoke softly from the couch. Oliver was still too dumbfounded to move. It made Felicity chuckle.  
_And he hasn’t even opened his own gift yet._

Since Lucky was thoroughly entertained by the chewy treat, Oliver sat back on the couch and stared down at the large gift sitting in front of him. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d gotten something for christmas. Sure, he and Thea had exchanged gifts every year, but other than that, christmas never had too much of an impact. Not even Laurel bothered getting him anything for christmas when they were a couple, though he’d bought her something every year.

“Well open it already!” Felicity nudged his shoulder, seeming equally nervous as he was.

With tentative fingers he unwrapped the paper, revealing a large, unmarked box underneath. Opening it, it revealed a smaller wrapped gift, along with another, pretty large one.

“Open the big one first.”

Putting aside the smaller gift, he heaved out the large one that easily weighed 15 pounds. _What the heck is in there?_

His curiosity finally overruling nervousness, he ripped the wrapper apart and opened the box. Inside he found a professional toolbox stocked to the rim with high end tools for every kind of work that could be done in and around a house. He’d seen these kinds of toolboxes before, mainly from the guys that hired him as a day laborer, but of course they never let him near that, probably too scared stuff might get stolen. And now one of these pricy treasures sat in his lap, waiting for him to be put to use.  
Shocked eyes met Felicity’s.  
“You didn’t have to... I don’t... Felicity, that’s too much! This stuff is so pricey.”

“Pricey schmicey.” she laughed and waved him off. “It’s merely the side part to your main gift.” At his confused look, she motioned for the smaller gift waiting on the couch beside him. “Open the other one.”

Peeling his eyes off the toolbox for a moment, he grabbed the smaller gift and unwrapped it. When a black organizer appeared, Oliver’s confusion only grew.

“Read it.”

He studied the first pages carefully, finding Felicity’s neat handwriting on every few pages where she’d written down names and times. He still didn’t understand.

When his confused eyes met hers, she went to explain.  
“You’re going to be in need of professional work tools and an organizer, soon. Actually, you’ll need this, too.” she smiled and pulled out a brand new smartphone out of her dress pocket, handing it to him. “If you’re interested, you’ll start a new job, starting next week.”

His eyes snapped from the phone back up to her eyes. What?

“I spoke to the Shoemakers and told them that if they ever needed anything fixed in the house, they should ask you before hiring an expensive company. That led to Mrs. Shoemaker promoting that in her Bingo group, all ladies who happen to live in this neighborhood. My phone started blowing up in the last week with people asking to have stuff fixed in their house. I made tentative arrangements and told them I’d have to ask you first, but they’re all very eager to help you out and getting their houses fixed by someone they can trust and invite into their homes. Plus it’ll be this neighborhood only so you won’t have to worry about Lucky. And you’ll get paid, of course.”

The dumbfounded look on Oliver’s face only grew the more she spoke.

She fidgeted with the hem of her dress for a moment before continuing, her eyes downcast into her lap.  
“I know you’re not happy that you don’t have any work and income and the moment and I just thought this was an great way to fix that. You’ll be working close to home, Lucky will be taken care of, you can manage your workload and business hours however you like, and you’d earn some good money from people who are more than thankful to get their shit fixed.” she argumented and looked back up at him, seeming a lot more nervous and tense all of a sudden. Did she seriously worry he wasn’t liking his gift?

“Felicity,” he spoke after what seemed like an eternity without words between them. “I... I don’t know what to say. Thank you.”

Before she could respond, he had her wrapped in a bear hug and pressed his warm lips on hers. Now with this kind of gratitude she could work with.

After a minute, she reluctantly pulled back and looked him in the eyes. They shone so bright it almost blinded her.  
“So you’re not mad I went behind your back and got you a job?”

“Mad? Felicity, this is the most incredible thing anyone has ever done for me.” he laughed softly. “It means I can finally work again and earn some money. That’s the most of a stable job I have had in 4 years.”

Felicity seemed incredibly relieved to hear these words from him. The gift had the exact effect on him she’d hoped.  
“Yeah, and once you’re tired of fixing leaking sinks for my elderly neighbors, you could even hit the job market again next year! I’m sure there are a lot of companies that would hire you in a heartbeat, Oliver!”

She was so excited while she spoke but her words made him stiffen. Felicity, being the observant person she was, immediately picked up on Oliver’s change of posture.  
“It’s not that easy,” he began explaining when she stopped talking and frowned at him. “I can’t hit the job market without at least an address and social number to give them.”

 _Well if it’s only that…_  
“We could fix that within a few hours.” she smiled.  
Offering him to ‘officially’ move in had been something she’d been thinking about for a while now. And especially now, with him starting his own company, basically, he definitely needed an address of permanent residency.

Oliver gulped but nodded once, not looking in the least as excited as she was. She wanted to inquire further but then Oliver’s words from earlier over dinner rang in her mind.  
So while they both admired their gifts a little longer and then cleaned up her living room, Felicity contemplated how to broach the topic of his ex-girlfriend again.

 

When they were seated on the couch, snuggled together like they did every night lately, Felicity took a large gulp of her wine and steeled her features for what she was about to ask.  
“So now that we’ve exchanged pleasantries and have our bellies filled,” she began and rested her head on his shoulder, her fingers playing with the hem of his shirt. “will you tell me about your relationship Laurel?”

Like she guessed, Oliver’s body stiffened the moment Felicity spoke. But between the couch and her plastered all over his body, there was nowhere he could move to. She patiently waited for him to relax again, gave him time to find the right words.

He took a deep breath, his fingers nervously twitching on his knee when he began to speak.  
“We have been dating on and off since high school, but got more serious later on. Friends always thought we weren’t good for each other, but I guess we thought differently back then. At least I did. To be honest, I don’t really know what she thought, I never really did. We were living together for almost 3 years, even made plans for the future. But towards the end of the relationship, we had been fighting more and more. Sometimes about stupid shit like the color of our guestroom towels but often about deeper things, opinions of life and work. She complained a lot about me working too much but on the other hand always expected to be showered with the most expensive gifts.”  
His head hang low while he spoke, his eyes averting hers. She could see that he had trouble voicing whatever was in his head, but she was glad he was at least trying.  
“I guess I just realized too late that we were wanting different things from life. While she was happy with her studying and the life she lived, I saw more in my future than just the 9 to 5 job and trips to Aspen or the Hamptons every second weekend.”

Oh, she could relate to that all too well. Being stuck with a mediocre job but having bigger dreams in her head was something she had to endure herself. Imagining she was still working in that place and lived in that rundown apartment like she did in college made her shudder. Her mother had always taught her to try to achieve as many goals in life as possible. So when the job at Palmer Tech had been offered to her, she didn’t hesitate one second to move across the country to start that new job and new life.

Oliver took a deep breath before he continued.  
“And then she lied to me about something. Something that’s almost unforgivable. And when I called her out on it after finding out, she was so unapologetic, not bothered in the least about how I felt. That was the last straw for me, ruining the remains of our already broken relationship.”

Felicity wanted to ask so bad what the lie was about, but since he had already shared so much about his relationship, she didn’t dare overstepping the line that night, and rather decided to go a safer route.  
“Tell me about your sister.”

The moment Felicity mentioned his sister, Oliver’s entire body relaxed back into the couch. She took that as a good sign.

“Thea has always been a troublemaker,” Oliver smiled, the nervously fidgeting fingers suddenly calmly resting on his knee. “She’s 8 years younger than me, so at first it was a little weird to have her following me everywhere I went. But after a while I got used to it. I found ways to sneak out on her so I could spend time with friends my age, but that only made her get in trouble every time. I have no idea if she did it on purpose, but after a while I simply gave in and took her with me. When she was 14, she followed me to a bonfire at a friend’s place and got so shitfaced drunk on some scotch that one of my friends left unattended that she puked her guts out for hours straight. I’ve never been so scared in my entire life.” he laughed softly at the memory of his sister ruining the white carpet and seats of his brand new Porsche. “I couldn’t take her to hospital and my parents would’ve killed me had they found out I got my little sister drunk. So I parked her in my room and spent the entire night watching her. I didn’t sleep one second that night, scared out of my mind. After that, I made sure to always keep her close by my side so she couldn’t pull such a stunt again.”

“It seems like you miss her.”

“Like crazy.” he replied with a sigh.

“Have you seen her lately?”

Oliver shook his head.  
“Not in the last 3 years. I visited her once at her high school, but she didn’t see me. She seemed happy, that was all that mattered to me.”

Even though his words seemed sincere, she couldn’t imagine him being happy with not being able to see his sister, especially since they had been so close.  
“Do you think about meeting her again? In the future, maybe?”

With another sigh, he nodded again.  
“But things with my family are a little... tense, since I left home. So that’s not really on the table for now.”

“Your family doesn’t want to see you?”

“Oh, I’m sure my father would be delighted to see me,” he laughed ironically, his eyes momentarily filling with anger. “It’s that I don’t want to see my father. Ever again, if possible.”

The more he revealed, the more Felicity realized that there was a lot more to Oliver’s ending up on the street than she’d first guessed. And the more questions he answered, the more questions he also arose in her head.  
Snuggling deeper into his chest, she wrapped an arm around him and held him close, her eyes cast over the flames flickering in her fireplace.  
“Do you think you can ever tell me everything about your life?”  
She didn’t want to sound ungrateful, especially after everything he had shared with her already, but there were still so many things she wanted to know about, so many questions in her head.

“I promise I will try. It’s just that I’m not used to telling people about my life. You’re the person that knows more about me than anyone else already.” He pressed a sweet kiss on her forehead, hugging her closer.

“So I just have to be a little more patient? I can do that. Easy peasy.”

He chuckled softly at her words, and yet again at the fact that she was able to lift the mood with just so much as a snap of her fingers.

 

Felicity did a quick bathroom break while Oliver let Lucky out into the backyard. When they settled back on the couch, the mood seemed a lot more relaxed than just half an hour ago. Placing a soft kiss to his neck, Felicity turned in his arms, letting him hold her closely. He stared into her eyes for a long time, to the point that made her almost uncomfortable. She had no idea what he was trying to read in them and it made her nervous. So she grabbed his face and kissed him.

Oliver didn’t seem to mind, in fact he actually pulled her closer into his lap, riding the hem of her dress up her thighs in the process. Their kisses soon turned heated, hands tentatively tracing each other's bodies. She had been hoping to move things further between them for a while now, but Oliver never made the first move. So she decided to finally take matters into her own hands.

But when Felicity started unbuttoning his shirt, Oliver stopped her, looking tense and torn all of a sudden.  
“Felicity, I... I can’t let things go farther between us as long as you don’t know everything about me. It wouldn’t be fair to you, especially not after everything you’ve done for me in the last weeks.”

For a moment, she seemed angered by his words, but quickly recovered. Sliding off his lap, she took a set next to him on the couch, not even bothering to pull the dress back down her thighs. Remembering John's words about pushing Oliver to open up from time to time, she looked straight at him.  
“Alright. Then let’s talk.”

Oliver was confused by her blunt statement for a second, then closed his eyes and rubbed his face with both hands. It was now or never. And after everything he’d told her already, how hard could it be?  
He cleared his throat, took a deep breath and focused on his hands in his lap before looking up facing her.  
“My name is Oliver Queen. I’m the son of Robert Queen, owner of Queen Consolidated.”

Felicity’s eyes went wide as saucers at his words.  
“Your family owns Queen Consolidated?”

He nodded once, but couldn’t keep her gaze.  
“Until 4 years ago, I was expected to take over the company, even help merger it with Lance Inc., the company of Laurel’s father.”

That sounded like a great opportunity to her, especially since he’d be the CEO of a fortune 500 company at such a young age. It was something she’d have accepted within a heartbeat, had someone offered that to her. She knew both companies well since they were among the biggest and most successful ones in the city.  
“What made you pass up such an opportunity?”

“The fact that Laurel killed my daughter.”


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Seriously, wow!  
> Never in my wildest dreams I would have guessed that the last chapter would create such a reaction from all you guys! From _‘holy shit’_ to _‘oh my god I hate you’_ there was literally every emotion in the comments. :D  
>  But I feel I also have to apologize, because after that last emotional episode of Arrow, I felt bad for leaving you guys with a cliffhanger like that… (I had no idea, I swear! :D )
> 
> So for this chapter, a little (a lot!) more will be revealed about Oliver's past...

For a moment, Felicity wasn’t sure she could trust her ears, her brain running a mile a minute after what he’d just said.  
Shock, confusion and sadness all swamped her at Oliver’s words. He had spoken them void of any emotion, just stated something so tragic so matter of factly, that it almost broke Felicity’s heart. How much pain did this man had to endure to speak about the tragic loss of a child in such a detached way? She couldn’t even begin to imagine.

Wordlessly, Felicity got up from the couch and walked out of the living room. Oliver’s pale, shocked face followed her, his head whipping around. Was he really scared she’d kick him out after that?  
“I need a drink.” she explained, waggling her empty wine glass in the air before disappearing into the kitchen. Truthfully, she needed more than just a drink. She also needed a minute to comprehend the huge bomb Oliver just dropped. And given the look on his face he needed that minute alone, too.

“Yeah, me too.” Oliver murmured to himself, rubbing his face once more to ground himself. A glass of scotch probably would do wonders for his nerves, but that was off the table.  
He’d told John his story already, even if only the sparsest details, and the man hadn’t judged him, so why did he worry Felicity might react differently?  
_Because you don’t have feelings for John, dumbass!_

Felicity returned back a good minute later, a wine glass filled to the brim in hand and a forced smile on her lips. Not that he could blame her for either thing. She sat down next to him, placed her wine glass on the coffee table and turned her body so she fully faced him. It took her a moment to gather her words, or maybe she was nervous to break the ice between them after what he’d just revealed. It made him even more nervous.  
“Okay, I think you need to start at the very beginning and even though I’m already afraid that this will be a long night, I want to know everything, Oliver. Everything you can tell me. I think the weeks of you living here have proven that you can trust me.”

Yeah, he knew that, but it still didn’t make sharing this sordid part of his past any easier. He took a deep breath and nodded once, more to himself than to her. For a long while, the crackling of the fireplace was the only sound in the room. It was so silent between them, Felicity was sure she could hear her own heartbeat.  
But then his soft voice broke the silence.  
“In college I had a one night stand that gave me my daughter, Ariel. Her mother wanted to give up the baby for adoption, never had any intention to keep her because apparently it thwarted her career, so my family took her in. I still remember my mother saying ‘A Queen should never feel unwanted in its rightful family.’ Kind of ironic, when you think about it now. So I got full custody of her and basically became a father at the age of 23.”

She tried to ignore the pang of anger she felt towards the mother of that child for not wanting it. A father leaving behind his wife and daughter was something she was used to, even had grown up with, but a mother willing to sacrifice her own child for the sake of a career? That was something she could never, ever understand. It strengthened her thoughts of Oliver all the more, knowing he didn’t hesitate to step into the role of a father practically overnight.  
“That sounds like a lot of responsibility.”

“It was,” he nodded. “But it was also the greatest time of my life. Watching her grow up, taking her first steps, speaking her first words... I gladly ditched any important board meeting or class for that.”

Felicity couldn’t relate to his words since she never had to take care of a tiny human being before, but the way his voice softened and his eyes warmed up gave her an idea how much Oliver must have loved his father-role.  
So many questions raced through her mind at that. So many things she wanted to ask, but her mouth was glued shut. Willing him to continue, she took his hand in hers and gripped it tightly.

“I was too busy to pick her up from ballet one night. I promised I would come get her, but like so often I couldn’t keep my promise because work got in the way. So I asked Laurel to go instead.  
“I was too busy to recognize the background noises when I called and asked her. She complained, like she did all the time when it came to my baby girl, but then agreed to pick her up. At the time I had no idea where she was. Had I known where she was when I called her, I never would have asked her in the first place. I would have defied my father, left work and just picked her up myself, just like I promised her.”

His voice broke towards the end of the sentence and Felicity felt a lump in her stomach forming the more he spoke.

“And then I came home an hour later, ready to bring my baby girl to bed like I did every night. Only she wasn’t there. The place was completely deserted when I came home. So I called Laurel.”

A silent sob forced him to stop with his story for a moment. He wasn’t even trying to fight the tears any longer, they were already way too many to hold them back. And with Felicity hugging and holding him so tightly, for once he allowed himself to fall apart. For the first time in over 3 years, he didn’t fight the tears, and the sadness, and the utter pain that overcame him every time he thought of his precious baby girl.  
He wiped his wet cheeks with the back of his hands and took a deep breath to steady himself to continue with the story.  
“The call went straight to voicemail. And that’s when I got that nervous feeling in my stomach. I knew something wasn’t right. Her car was still gone, and when I called the ballet school Ariel’s teacher told me Laurel had picked her up, so they must have been somewhere. I called Laurel’s father, but he didn’t pick up either. Then I called my mother, thinking maybe Laurel had just dropped Ariel off at my parents’ place. But when my mother picked up the phone…” Felicity could feel another fresh tear streaming down his cheek and over her hand. “she told me something had happened. An accident. That I had to come to the hospital as soon as possible. I don’t remember much after hanging up. I have no idea how I got into the car and raced over to the hospital but when I walked into the waiting room to see my mother, my sister in tears and Laurel’s father there, I knew something terrible must have happened.”

His voice was so low, barely audible, but every fiber of Felicity’s body was on alert. Her heart was racing like crazy and she had to force her hands to lay still. She wanted nothing more to pull Oliver into her lap and rock and soothe him, but she didn’t dare move a muscle before Oliver finished his story, even fighting to keep her own tears at bay. And she could only imagine the hardest part was still to come yet.

“My mother, she... she pulled me into a chair in the waiting room and told me Laurel had been in an accident after picking up Ariel. She... apparently something ran onto the street and she tried to avoid it. The car crashed sideways into a row of trees. And then my mother told me that Ariel... my beautiful little baby girl... she died on impact.”

Oliver was silently sobbing, and it broke her heart that she couldn’t help him through the pain. Other than holding him close, showing him support no matter what, and wiping stray tears from his cheeks there wasn’t anything she could do for him. And it made her feel more helpless than ever before.

 

It took him a little longer after that to gather his bearings and continue, but Felicity gave him all the time in the world. He grabbed a tissue from the coffee table and tried to clean himself up as good as he could.  
“I don’t remember much after that, only white noise rushing through my ears and then everything went black. I woke up in a hospital bed half an hour later. Thea was sitting by my side, refusing to leave even when the nurse wanted to check on me. That’s when she told me that Laurel apparently had been reeking of alcohol when they brought her in but before she could tell me more, the rest of my family, including Laurel’s father, barged into the room. Everyone was asking me questions but I felt so numb, so empty, they were all miles away from me in that moment. Especially after what my sister had just told me.  
“I immediately wanted to speak to Laurel, or at least see her, but no one would let me into her room. Her father told me she was still out and doctors had to check her over for internal injuries first before anyone could see her. Ironic, isn’t it? An innocent 3-year old kid gets killed while the driver, my fiancée at that, leaves hospital two days later with three broken ribs and a concussion.” he laughed ironically, and Felicity hugged him even tighter. The tears had stopped, but now she could feel the anger welling up in him. Anger she was having herself ever since he mentioned that woman drinking in a bar and she got a small idea where the story might be heading.

“They sent over a counselor and some shrink that tried to speak with me, but I didn’t want to talk to any of them about how I was feeling. I wanted answers. They refused to take me to Ariel’s body and Laurel was still out when I came to her room and Quentin wasn’t letting me inside, anyway, so I let Thea take me home some time in the morning. I have no idea how many hours I had spent at that hospital, I don’t really remember much of that time at all. Thea stayed with me for two days, let me cry into her shoulder and told me everything she knew, everything she’d heard before I arrived at the hospital.”

“Heard about what?”

“About the fact that Laurel had been piss drunk when the EMTs arrived at the crash site. That Quentin immediately got in touch with the police officers as soon as they arrived at the hospital. Something was smelling fishy but when Thea first told me I didn’t have the clear mind to realize what it was. And if it hadn’t been for my baby sister being so observant, I probably never would’ve found out.”

She couldn’t imagine the weight an 18 year old girl must have shouldered at that time, not only for losing her niece, but for consoling her brother who was completely falling apart.  
“She sounds like a good person, your sister.”

Oliver nodded once, his mood a lot lighter for a second.  
“She’s the only one I miss out of my entire family. The rest can rot in hell, for all I care.”

The anger that evaporated from him while he spoke these words made her shudder. Whatever had happened between his family and him, it must have been huge. Something that as hard to imagine for her, after what he’d just revealed to her.  
“What happened then?” she urged when she realized Oliver wasn’t going on with the story.

“Two days later Laurel was released. I was so numb but at the same time angry over what Thea had told me, but I had no evidence. I just knew it wasn’t the first time Laurel had been drinking, so Thea’s words weren’t really far fetched. I tried looking into her hospital reports, but for some reason they had gone missing, or someone tried to hide them from me. I tried talking to the police, but they didn’t help me either. I even tried talking to my mother and Laurel’s father, but my mother told me I was still in shock and that my brain was coming up with the weirdest theories as part of my grieving process.”

Felicity couldn’t hold back a huff at that. It sounded like the typical go-to explanation to someone demanding answers that shouldn’t be unveiled.  
“And Laurel’s father?”

“He simply told me not to accuse his daughter of anything like that. He didn’t give me condolences for losing my daughter or patted my shoulder in support for having my fiancée, his daughter, in hospital. He just blew me off and basically told me to stop asking questions. And all that after I simply asked him if Laurel might have had a drink before picking up Ariel.”

Felicity snorted. She just couldn’t help herself. If anything made people suspicious, it would be telling them to keep their nose out of things.

“So I started to dig deeper, got more and more determined. I confronted Laurel the moment she stepped through our apartment door about what exactly had happened. I told her to talk me through every damn mile she drove over and over. Never, not once did she admit that she’d been drinking but she also didn’t tell me where she’d been when I called her and asked to pick Ariel up from ballet. Then she accused me of being mean to her and trying to hurt her on purpose because I was looking for someone to blame, even though it had been nothing but an accident. She accused me I wouldn’t give a shit about her and when I didn’t correct her on that, she packed a bag and went to stay with her father. And I honestly didn’t care at that moment. I just wanted to know what had happened to my daughter and who was responsible for her death.”

Felicity touched his cheek when she could hear his voice breaking again. He instantly leaned into the palm of her hand. Her heart almost broke at the simple gesture. He was trusting her - finally trusting and opening up to her with his past and whatever secrets he’d carried with himself for all these years.  
“I haven’t seen or heard a word from Laurel until almost a week later, at Ariel’s funeral. I honestly didn’t expect her to show up; things between us were rocky at best, even before the accident, and she wasn’t really fond of Ariel either, only knew she wouldn’t get me without my daughter. But then she showed up, with her father in tow, probably so I wouldn’t question her further.  
“I was all over the place that day. If it hadn’t been for my sister, an 18-year-old girl, I would’ve lost my shit multiple times. But Thea made me keep it together, for the sake of my daughter.”

Now Felicity really wanted to meet his sister. Not only to hug and thank her for not leaving Oliver alone when he really needed someone in his life, but to maybe try and rebuild a relationship between her and Oliver again, just so he wasn’t all alone in this world any longer.

“Thea’s words that Laurel had been piss drunk when she’d been admitted still ran through my mind all the time. And I wanted answers. Since neither the police nor the hospital were giving me any, I drove around the city, checking out every bar in a 20 mile radius that opened on a wednesday night. It didn’t take me too long until I found the place Laurel had been staying when I called her. The barkeeper told me she even was a regular there, too. He even showed me video evidence from the night, showing her sitting at the bar, drinking god knows what, then talking on the phone and leaving the bar a good 15 minutes later. I got a copy of the tape and even a promise that the barkeeper would testimony in court that she’d been at his bar that night. So I went to confront her. I showed up at Quentin’s place and showed her the video but Quentin kicked me out before I could even tell her I knew everything. I gave her the chance to come clean, to tell me exactly what had happened, but she never did. She hid away at her father’s place, claiming she was having a nervous breakdown because of me and that she was about to press charges if I didn’t leave her alone and stop the accusations.”

Felicity looked up at him in shock. That woman had killed his daughter and then told him she’d press charges against him? Holy hell!

“So I took matters into my own hands. I didn’t care any longer if I was pressing charges against my own fiancée or even my grandmother. At this point, I wanted answers, and the people responsible for my daughter’s death punished. It was the one thing that kept me going.  
“I told the police everything I knew, showed them the video surveillance from the bar and even gave them the name and address of the barkeeper so they could verify his statement. For a few days, nothing happened. My family was still giving me time to grieve, even though Thea told me my father already started asking when I was about to return to work. When I didn’t get an update from the police, I called to see if they had taken the barkeeper’s statement yet. Turns out they never took his statement because he said he didn’t know Laurel and had never seen her before. Both the surveillance I had handed them, along with the one the barkeeper still had, was suddenly lost.”

“You’re kidding me, right?”

He shook his head.  
“Totally serious. Something stank to hell but I didn’t know what to do. My only chance to find out the truth had been spilled down the drain, the one person knowing what had happened refused to tell me and the police wasn’t willing to help. I went insane, didn’t sleep for days, trying to figure out what was going on. I didn’t eat, didn’t leave the apartment. Someone was constantly calling, but I never answered the phone. I simply stopped caring, like they stopped caring about what had truly happened to my daughter.”

The moment he spoke about his daughter, Felicity could hear his voice breaking again.  
“Oh Oliver... I don’t even know what to say. I’m so sorry all this happened to you.”

“There’s more.”

 

Felicity’s eyes went wide at that. Even though she knew there must be more to his story, as how he ended up on the street, for example, but she still had no idea how it was all connected to his daughter.  
“Do you want something to drink? Because my throat feels like dying after all that.”

“Yeah, a glass of water isn’t a bad idea,” he replied and sat a little straighter on the couch while she got up and went to grab him a glass of water and refill her wine glass that surprisingly emptied itself over the last 15 minutes. God, she was turning into a stress drinker if Oliver kept reveals like this coming.  
It also gave him the chance to compose himself and her the chance to gather all her thoughts running through her brain after what he’d just told her.

Out of every outcome she might have imagined when thinking about his past, never would she have guessed a story so tragic like this. And he said there was still more.  
With a deep breath, she grabbed their drinks and made her way back to the couch, not wanting to give him the feeling of purposely leaving him alone.  
Oliver still sat in the same spot, his slumped shoulders resting against the back of the couch. She handed him the water and immediately went back to snuggle against him. His arm enveloped her and pulled her even closer and he placed a sweet kiss on her forehead before taking a long drink from his water. Felicity could feel the shift in him, that the few minutes she’d given him to compose himself really seemed to help.

He took his time emptying the glass and placed it on her coffee table before fully wrapping her back in his arms. For a moment, he held her so close to his body as if he needed to remind himself she was still there, that she was still with him.

Felicity had no idea how to find back into their conversation, but she also knew that Oliver probably wouldn’t start on his own.  
“So what happened, after you holed up at home? Didn’t your family worry and start looking for you?”

“Oh, they looked after me alright.” he laughed ironically, his voice laced with venom. “One day my father showed up and let himself inside. I have no idea where he got the key to my place, probably from Laurel. He didn’t exactly find me in the best shape, but at the time I couldn’t care less what anyone thought of me. Aside from Thea, nobody had really cared much, anyway.”

A wave of sadness came over him at the mention of his sister, but he quickly dismissed it when focussing back on the story and his father.

“He started to tell me to stop being a pussy that hides in his cave after a tragedy. Told me to man up and come back to work like everyone expected me to. He didn’t even bother asking if I was fine, or how I was coping with the loss of my child.”

The anger that she heard in his tone earlier returned full face the moment he started to speak about his father. It gave her a small idea how much must have happened between them, especially since the anger was still very much present, even after so many years.

“I told him that I tried, but that it still hurt too much. That I needed more time to grieve. That’s when he started shouting at me. Called me a disgrace and that the son he had raised wasn’t such a pansy.”

Felicity could feel anger well up inside her herself the more he revealed.  
“Why the hell did he get mad at you??”

“He told me he didn’t pay a shit ton of money to cover the accident from the media for me to have a mental breakdown days later.”

Utter shock at what Oliver just said made her sit up straight on the couch.  
“Wait, _he_ had the accident swept under the rug?”

He nodded once.  
“Along with Laurel’s father, apparently.”

“But why? I mean, with Laurel’s hospital report missing I’m not surprised someone wanted to hide that she had been drunk when the accident happened. But why hide the entire thing from the media?”

“Because my father was afraid it could cause bad news for the Queen name. And that was the last thing he wanted. Not with everything he had planned.”

When Felicity furrowed a brow, he explained further.

“The day my father showed up at my place, he demanded I ‘get my shit together’ and proceed with the relationship and marriage with Laurel, as planned. Up until that day I hadn’t even talked to her ever since she got released from hospital, not that I had any interest to. She didn’t have the decency to show up at our place to see if I was fine, or maybe even apologize to me for what had happened. And my father flat-out told me he demanded I go ahead with the plans of marrying that woman, despite what just happened.”

Disgust was evident on her face and she didn’t even bother hiding it.  
“But why? And how could he even demand something like that from you?”

“Because followed by the marriage to Laurel was the merger between our families companies. As soon as Laurel accepted my last name, QC would take over Lance Inc. with my father in the leading position.”

“So he needed you to take over the other company? He dictated you who to marry just so he could get more powerful? A marriage as a business transaction?” The disbelief in her voice over what Oliver just told her was too much to cover. Felicity simply couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“In a way,” he confirmed with a small nod. “But it’s not that it was like an arranged marriage from when we were kids. Laurel and I had been dating on and off since we were teenagers. I guess at some point it just became convenient to my father if we married, especially when Quentin spoke about possibly selling Lance Inc. So the fathers started talking, making plans and stuff, completely oblivious to the fact that the relationship between Laurel and me had been rocky at best, especially towards the end. One day Laurel announced to the media that we were engaged and well, there was nothing I could do about it. I mean, it’s not that I could’ve told the world she was lying or that I knew nothing about it. So people started congratulating us, newspapers wrote articles and Laurel became the most famous bride-to-be in Starling City. She bathed in the spotlight and attention everyone was giving her, but didn’t give a shit about me or my daughter. There were so many times when I wanted to just grab my girl and leave, but my father made sure to keep my so overloaded with work that I barely had the time to even take my girl to bed every night.”

Anger welled up in her at the fact that apparently everyone had been bulldozing over Oliver in the last years. Laurel, his father, everyone simply told him what to say or do, making him nothing but a pawn in his own life. How he could do this for so long without breaking or snapping absolutely boggled her mind.  
“Did you go back to work after that?”

“I tried to. I really did. My father’s words about letting down not only my family but the entire company rang in my ears. So a day after he paid me a visit, I actually got up in the morning and went to work. But the moment I entered my office and saw the picture of Ariel on my desk, I just lost it. Started crying like a baby in my office. My assistant freaked out and called over my father and he didn’t waste any time to continue his speech from the day before. I knew the moment he shut the door to my office behind him and closed the blinds that I was about to hear something nasty.”

Felicity was too nervous and amped up to even ask. She willed Oliver to continue with a reassuring squeeze of his hand, resting their intertwined fingers on her thigh between them.

“My father yelled and shouted that I should never lose my shit at work, that I had to keep myself together at all times. I reminded him what just happened a week earlier and then he said that the Queen family was what’s important and that right now, the future of his entire family and company was resting on my shoulders and that there wasn’t any time for not keeping it together. He never bothered to even ask me if that was what I wanted, it was simply expected of me. So I told him. Told him that I needed a break, that I needed to refocus my life and figure out what I wanted.”

“I take it he didn’t react too good to that?”

A small ironic laugh left him.  
“I’ll never forget the words that he said to me after that. He said _‘You can always have another child, son. A planned child, together with your wife, not a fling from college. But right now you need to focus on what’s important, and that is this company and the things that are expected of you. Not only from me, but from Lance as well. And from your fiancée. There’s no room for a whiny breakdown right now. Queens keep their shit together at all times. We don’t cry like a little baby the moment a tragedy hits us. And seeing you sitting here like that, right now, makes me feel like you’re the biggest embarrassment that I could have possibly conjured for a son!’_ ”

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Felicity shouted and sat straight up, looking him right in the eyes. She really didn’t want to sound so angry, but the more Oliver told her, the madder she became. How whacked in the head could this family be?  
“Please tell me you knocked your father hard over the head.”

“Not exactly,” he chuckled softly and placed a sweet kiss on her temple. Only Felicity could make him laugh in situations like that, despite the tough topic they were talking about.  
“But I got up and left before I could have done something I might’ve regretted later.”

He definitely had more restraint than her. Felicity had never been in a situation like that with her father, but she knew that if he even only crossed her path now, she probably would unleash hell on him. So Oliver being able to hold himself back despite the crap his father had unloaded on him, impressed the hell out of her. It also put her opinion of Oliver in another, whole new light.  
“I couldn’t even imagine going back to work so soon,” Felicity sighed and snuggled closer to his side.

“I wasn’t in the position to, at all,” he replied. “Neither mentally nor physically. But as always I tried to make things right for my father. A man who, even in the most tragic time of my life, didn’t give a rat’s ass about his son.”

And with that, the venom lacing his voice was back with full force. Felicity tried to come up with anything to steer him away from thinking about his father, she just had no idea how. Oliver took that decision off her when he continued speaking, though.

“So I went to see my mother, hoping she would be able to calm me or make my father understand I was in no right mind to get back to work yet. But she merely told me that now wasn’t the right time for taking a break. She tried to make me understand that too many things were coming up that would need all my attention, but I just wanted out. I was so sick of it all. No one bothered to ask how I felt, so why should I bother doing what was expected of me?”

“I’m baffled no one cared about your mental state,” Felicity began and Oliver’s surprised and momentarily amused eyes met hers. “I don’t mean you were insane, silly!” she chuckled and playfully slapped his arm before settling back against it. “I just mean that I can’t believe no one at least acknowledged the trauma you had to go through, or even gave you time to grieve and recuperate. Your parents preached ‘family morals’ to you all the time but then didn’t bother to look at one of their children suffering. Pretty hypocritical to me.” she shrugged.

Her words stunned Oliver speechless for a moment because they hit spot on.

“When I left my parents’ home, my mind was even more all over the place than it was before. After my father’s words, I was hoping that at least my mother would understand me a bit better. She was a mother of two children, after all.  
“I felt so lost when I drove back from my parents’ place, I didn’t know where to go or what to do. After aimlessly driving around for god knows how long, I somehow ended up at the cemetery. Spent the entire night slumped over Ariel’s grave. Thea found me the next morning and took me back to my place. She watched over me like a hawk after forcing me to pack a bag and then sent me off to my family’s vacation place in Idaho. I didn’t want to leave Starling City, but Thea promised me to take care of Ariel’s grave and to let me know as soon as anything came up. If it had been anyone else, I never would’ve agreed to go. But Thea was the last and only person on earth I trusted explicitly, so I left.”

The more Felicity heard about his sister, the more she felt the urge to do something about the fact that Oliver hadn’t seen her for so long. The young woman sounded like the only decent human being aside from Oliver in the entire Queen family.  
From everything Oliver had told her, she had no desire to meet his parents but his sister she would very much like to meet some day.  
“Did it help? Being away for a bit?”

He instantly nodded.  
“It really did. It helped me calm down and see things a lot clearer again. But I didn’t have a lot time until my father eventually found me in my hiding place. I think our housekeepers tipped him off. He forced me back home by having our own family security kick me out of the place. Imagine that.” his head shaking in disbelief while he spoke. No matter how often he thought about all that had happened, he still couldn’t grasp the way his father had treated him. And the fact that he’d been so blind and stupid to let him do it for so long before putting a stop to it.

The anger that had been simmering on the surface finally bubbled over with Felicity. She didn’t know the man that had raised the wonderful person that was sitting beside her, but she sure as hell wanted to punch him square in the face for treating his own son like that.  
A string of curse-words were at the tip of her tongue but for the sake of Oliver she forced them back. He seemed angry enough as it was and she didn’t want to infuriate him any further before he finished the story. And given that she still had no idea how he ended up on the street, she could only guess how much more Oliver was about to reveal.

“So I went back home. By then Laurel had already moved back into our apartment and acted like nothing had happened. Actually, she acted as if the entire accident hadn’t happened in the first place. It confused the hell out of me, especially since I had no interest to spend another day with her ever again. But then I come home to her wanting to kiss and hug me and blabbing about how she missed me. It took everything in me not to punch her in the face. Even more so when I walked into Ariel’s room to find all her stuff gone, only an empty closet and her disassembled bed remaining.”

_Oh no she didn’t!_  
“Hold on,” Felicity interrupted him and gripped his arm in a tight grip. “After everything that woman had done to you already, she even had the nerve to clear out your daughter’s room?”

He nodded.  
“She didn’t even want to tell me where they had the stuff stored at first. Told me some bullshit about how I couldn’t move forward with Ariel’s stuff still so present all over the place.”

“Jesus christ, it hadn’t even been two weeks since you lost her!”  
She really didn’t want to yell, but that story was getting more and more ridiculous by the minute.

“So maybe you can imagine that after my father kicking me out of the vacation home to force me back to Starling City and then my ex-fiancée clearing out all my daughter’s stuff, I wasn’t in the best shape, mentally.”

Uh, oh. Please don’t tell me you punched her in the face, Oliver. Even though she very much deserved that.

“I packed all my stuff, told Laurel to go to hell and then I called my father to tell him I’d never come back to the company and that Laurel and I were over and he could kiss his merger-plans goodbye. Spent two nights at a hotel until I found myself an apartment in the city, far away from anything that could connect me to my family. The only person I talked to until that point was my sister, even though a ton of people tried to call me all day long.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's literally so much Oliver has to tell her, I just couldn't put it all in one chapter. So this is part of a 2-part-chapter... the next part will be posted next friday! :)
> 
> Again, thank you all so much for the overwhelming response I've gotten so far (not only for the last chapter but overall!) for this story. It really keeps me going and motivates me to work on my other stories! :)


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey gang!  
> I need to apologize for keeping you waiting so long, but I've spent the last 10 days in hospital and didn't have any access to my files until I got home last night. Sorry for making you guys wait so long!
> 
> Anyway, we're back on track now, with the next chapter following on friday, as scheduled. :)
> 
> **Happy Easter, everyone!**

The more Oliver spoke the more Felicity wondered if he ever had any friends that cared about him aside from his sister. She just couldn’t imagine that someone like Oliver didn’t have any real friends in his life. Even she had a small handful of people she could rely on at all times.

“A few days passed after I left and I tried to get myself together and figure out what to do next. My relationship and engagement with Laurel was very much off the table, so was my job at QC. I had told my father that I was no longer interested to take over the company and for the first time in my life, I was free. Only that it didn’t feel that way to me. My daughter was dead, killed by the woman that I planned to marry, my family didn’t care about me and I neither had a job nor a focus on what to do next. I felt terrible but I knew that I would not go back and knock on my parents’ door, begging for their forgiveness. If anything, they had to beg me.”

Now Felicity got a small idea where the animosity came from that Oliver still held against his own family. She never questioned him about it since she herself was angry beyond belief about her own father and how he’d abandoned her but thankfully, she still had her mother. Oliver had gotten betrayed by his entire family, aside from his little sister. That put things to a whole new level.

“I ignored everyone except for Thea. We met at the cemetery a few times but other than that, I didn’t see or hear from anyone. But then she told me what my father had said to my mother. About his plans to disown me if I didn’t come back to the company and proceed with the marriage plans, about how he was going to freeze all my accounts so I had no chance but to come back. That afternoon I went to the bank to draw as much money from my accounts as possible but when I got there, the consultant told me that all my accounts except for one of my credit cards had already been frozen. So I left with 5000$ in my pocket and no idea what to do next.”

Well that didn’t sound too bad. 5000$ was a lot of money, money Felicity didn’t have after graduating. And still she managed to find an apartment and a job.

“And then Thea called me and said that my father refused to pay for Ariel’s gravestone. I wanted to punch him in the face for that, even though it didn’t really surprise me. It was just another of his ways to try and show me his superiority. So I went to the cemetery and ordered a gravestone myself.”

“It was the last thing you could do for your daughter.” Felicity spoke softly and for a moment she was glad his father had refused to take care of ordering a gravestone for Oliver’s daughter, because it meant that the very last thing he could do for her was something that Oliver could do himself when everything else had been taken away from him already.  
After feeling responsible for his daughter’s death and having no one to support him, she couldn’t fathom how much he must have needed to do that.

“I had to sell my Porsche to to gather all the money I needed, but I didn’t care. I bought her the best gravestone money could buy, and made sure her spot at the cemetery was secured for the next 20 years. It gave me strength being able to do this one last thing for her, but afterwards I felt just as empty.”

Felicity had no words of support, so she just wrapped her arms around him and held him close. His demeanor had calmed down the longer he spoke, but every time he mentioned his daughter, she could see how much he still hurt.

“When money started to run tight after paying for Ariel’s gravestone I tried to find a job. First in a similar position to what I did at my father’s company, but no one even replied to the applications I handed in, even though they looked delighted the moment they recognized me. So I started looking for other jobs, anything that would pay the bills until I’d get an idea what to do next. For a week I worked for a tax accountant before they told me I wasn’t fit for the job. I called bullshit because I could do that stuff in my sleep but there wasn’t anything I could do. After that, I had an even harder time to find any paying job. I started working at a small diner over in the Glades but after another two weeks of working there the boss kicked me out as well. Turns out it had always been my father ruining even the shittiest jobs for me by threatening my bosses. I have no idea how he always found out where I worked but the more he tried to add pressure, the more it drove me away.”

It all sounded like the script of a crazy drama movie to her. All the things his father had done, just to get Oliver back to the family and the company, it almost gave her whiplash.  
“Why didn't you leave? Move to another city where your family name hasn't so much power and influence?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Oliver resolutely shook his head.  
“Moving would have meant leaving Ariel behind. And I can't do that. I could never do that. My father probably knew this and relied on it, but I'm not so sure if he still thinks I'm still in the city. I haven't had a legal job or apartment or any other documented activity in the last 3 years.”

Felicity’s eyes went wide at that. Of course that’s how his father always found out where he was. So Oliver was living on the street, basically hiding in plain sight, because of his own father?  
“Why was he so hell bent on bringing you back into the family when it was very clear that neither of you seemed interested in that?” she asked with disbelief. “What kind of person would sacrifice his own son just for the sake of becoming more powerful?”

“You obviously haven’t met my father yet.” Oliver mumbled, looking ashamed all of a sudden.

Well she had no desire to, that much she knew already after everything Oliver had just revealed to her.

At some point Lucky had polished off his chewy treat and demanded to be entertained. With a small smile, Felicity grabbed him and placed him in Oliver’s lap, just the perfect spot so both could pet him and Oliver put his restless fingers to good use. She had seen the way his hand was nervously fidgeting on his knee while he spoke, she just had no idea how to make it stop. So Lucky seemed like the perfect distraction.

“After I got kicked out of my job at the diner I moved into a much smaller studio to save rent money but without any decent job, that didn’t last long either. Thea had jumped in and helped me by getting me some cash but at some point my parents found out and threatened to cut her off, as well. I didn’t want to cause her any trouble and besides, I hated to rely on my parents again, in some way. So I told her to stop visiting me until things calmed down a little. With another shitty job in the Glades I could at least afford rent and food but of course, my father had to ruin that for me again as well. It was like no matter what I did, my father always found a way to throw stones in my path to watch me fall.”

The defeat in his tone made Felicity terribly sad. Even though her father had abandoned her, she couldn’t imagine anyone being so mean and evil towards his own child. It also made her wonder how long his father had been treating him like that and if Oliver, just like her, never really felt fatherly love from a parent.

“And then Laurel made a public statement to the Starling Inquirer,” he continued and Felicity instantly felt her gut turn. Just the mention of that woman’s name made her uncomfortable.  
“She told the newspaper that I ended the engagement and left her due to not wanting to give up my ‘Playboy lifestyle’; that my actions made her fall into a severe depression.”  
Felicity snorted, she just couldn’t help herself. Depression, yeah right.  
“She was suddenly the poor darling girl that everyone wanted to comfort, I was just the bachelor again that apparently had more interest to return to his playboy ways rather than settle down with an apparently perfect woman.” he huffed a small, ironic laugh and shook his head at the memory.  
“A week after that, I couldn’t afford the rent any longer and had to move out. That was officially the second worst day of my life. My daughter dead, my family estranged, the newspapers publishing utter shit about me, no money in my pocket and finally out of an apartment as well.”

 _I would've taken you in in a heartbeat._  
“Didn’t you have any friends that could’ve helped you?”

“None that I would have bothered with my father’s wrath.” he shook his head. “And Tommy, the only friend I could have gone to, the one that literally gave a crap about my father’s influence because we grew up together, was fucking my fiancée behind my back. So that kind of fell flat, too.”

Felicity stared at him with utter shock.  
“What kind of people were you living with all these years, Oliver? This is _not_ normal behavior!”  
At that moment she didn’t care of she yelled at him or sounded more angry than she intended to. It was beyond ridiculous that he beat himself up over people that treated him like shit for all his life and she sure as hell was going to make him understand that.  
“Your father using and threatening you is NOT normal. Your friend fucking your ex-fiancée while she plans to marry you is NOT normal! Holy macaron, no wonder that you have so many trust issues!”

He didn’t reply to that, only looked at her for a long moment, as if trying to read anything in her eyes. She had no idea what, but she made sure to hold his gaze. His eyes were way too captivating and pretty to look away from, anyway.  
When the smallest hint of a smile made his lip curl up, she smiled back. It felt so freeing in that moment, after all the stuff Oliver had unloaded on her, that she never wanted to stop smiling at him. But then he took a deep breath and visibly gathered his bearings to continue with the story. The smile disappeared, too, only to be replaced with the frown that had been prominent on his face for the last hour.

“I didn’t tell Thea anything because she would have tried to find a way to help me and after what my father did to me, I really didn’t want to cause her any trouble. I pawned off most of my stuff, slept in motels to stay off the radar, and tried to work my way through jobs that didn’t require any legal documentation.”

“But that only worked for a while.”

He nodded, his eyes downcast in his lap, focused on Lucky soundly sleeping there.  
“The first night that I couldn’t afford a motel room any longer, I broke into an empty one after the security ended its shift and the night watch took over the reception. I knew that the guy usually fell asleep behind the counter, so no one would notice. I sneaked out before the cleaners arrived the next morning. That worked well for around a week until they figured out someone was staying in their rooms. When they doubled security, I had to leave. Getting arrested for breaking into a shady motel was the last thing I needed on my name.”  
Oliver stared at his fingers and took a deep breath before continuing. He looked so fragile in that moment that she had to fight the urge to wrap her arms around him and give him some strength.  
“The first night I spent out in the open, I sat on a park bench in the Glades and cried like a baby for nearly two hours. I didn’t sleep one second, just thought about how much my life had went down the drain within the course of six weeks and how little I could do about it. But then I got angry. Angry at myself for not putting a stop to my father’s machinations sooner, to set things straight with Laurel sooner, to do the damn thing I promised my daughter and pick her up from ballet myself. Maybe she would still be alive had I manned up sooner and shown some fucking backbone!”

Two stray tears were silently streaming down his face while he angrily choked out the words. Felicity grabbed his hand and squeezed it, hoping for him to look up, but Oliver’s face didn’t move. One tear barely missed Lucky and landed on the now wrinkled dress shirt he was still wearing, a reminder of a christmas dinner that suddenly seemed weeks ago.  
Even Lucky seemed to notice the mood of his owner and licked his hand once before laying his head flat on his arm.

Felicity slid closer to him until her knees bumped against his thigh. With his hand still clasped in hers, she took the other to wipe the tears from his cheeks and gently lift his head so he had to face her.  
“It’s not your fault, Oliver.” she tried to smile, but Oliver’s red-rimmed eyes made it hard for her to keep it together. He looked so empty, so broken all of a sudden, she had no idea how to pull him back.  
“None of this is your fault. You could have had no idea something like this would happen. Don’t beat yourself up over things you had no control over.”

“But I promised her! I promised I’d pick her up, and it was just another of those promises I had to break because I let work become more important. I wasn’t man enough to say no to my father when I should have. And my daughter paid that with her life.”

“No,” Felicity replied firmly. “Your ex-fiancée recklessly drinking and driving, that’s what your daughter paid for. But you are not at fault with this, Oliver.”

He nodded absentmindedly, but Felicity could see that he didn’t really believe her. For too many years he’d probably beaten himself up with these thoughts, putting the blame on himself and no one else. And while she knew that it didn’t help to point fingers at anyone after so many years, she wanted Oliver to understand it wasn’t his fault what had happened.

After a long moment of silence between them, where Oliver let a few more tears soak his shirt, he suddenly sat back straight, quickly wiped his cheeks with the back of his hand and sniffed his nose.  
“So there you have it,” he tried to joke, but the smile fell flat on his cheeks. “the miserable story that is my life. I’m almost 30 years old and look where all my dedication and studying led me - I’m not even able to keep the smallest, shittiest apartment for longer than 2 weeks or find a half decent paying job.”

Felicity frowned at his words, but quickly intertwined her fingers with his, squeezing them together tightly.  
“I wish you could see yourself the way I see you.” she whispered at him, hoping to elicit a smile in return, but Oliver merely shook his head once absently.  
“Because I see a man with the biggest, kindest heart on this planet. I see a man who is loyal, strong, polite, protects those he loves and is so incredibly kind-hearted that I couldn’t not fall in love with him.”

Her voice was low and silent, but Oliver unmistakably heard what she’d just said. His eyes snapped up to hers, wide with surprise and disbelief. His body had become very still, like a hunter who didn’t want to startle its prey.  
“I love you, Oliver.” she smiled. “And I didn’t need to hear the story of your past to realize that. Because I realized it a while ago already, without knowing who you were before we met. Your story only reinforced all the reasons why I have fallen in love with you.”

His wide eyes stared at her for what seemed like hours. She wasn’t sure he believed her, or even heard what she said. But then he leaned forward, grabbed her cheeks in a tight grip and placed a soft but firm kiss on her lips. It felt as if he needed to remind herself she was really there, that he hadn’t imagined her words. She could also feel and hear the sigh that left him when she responded to his kiss. His fingers instantly relaxed against her cheeks, his grip more loosely but still keeping contact with her.

After a few more kisses Oliver finally pulled back from her lips and rested his forehead against hers, his eyes closed, his breaths deep. She was sure she could feel his racing heart had she placed a hand on his chest.  
“What did I do to deserve you?” he whispered so low, Felicity wasn’t sure if it was even meant for her ears.

“The subway, remember? You helped me when I was in need. Because that’s who you are. That’s one of the many things that made me fall in love with you, Oliver.”

He inhaled deeply when she said it again, as if he couldn’t believe someone would actually love him. But it also wasn’t lost on her that he didn’t say it back. Not that she expected him to. He obviously wasn’t there yet, and after everything Oliver had told her she definitely didn’t blame him. She'd give him all the time in the world and the signs of him feeling the same were there already, shown in every little thing he did for her, the way she caught him looking at her every now and then, the way he tried to be near her whenever he could. All these facts had given her the strength in the last weeks that Oliver felt the same as her, making it easy for her to speak the words out loud to him.  
So of course she had all the time in the world. And if Oliver deserved anything, then it was time to move at his own pace.

 

“Well I don’t know about you,” Felicity began and stretched her back, “but sitting on this damn couch all night made my back ache. What do you think, should we call it a night? I’ve got a killer breakfast planned.” she grinned and got up from the couch, waking up Lucky in the process.

Oliver didn’t seem to object, so they both dimmed the lights, locked up the place and headed upstairs. He surprised her for a moment when he grabbed her hand on their way up, but Felicity wasn’t one to complain.  
His room was the first that they reached in the hallway and Oliver was about to let go of her hand to open the door when she stopped him. With a small smile she pulled him along with her down the hallway to her room. Oliver only stopped when she switched on the light and turned to face him, looking suddenly more nervous than he’d seen her all evening.

“Would you just lie with me tonight? We don’t have to do anything, just... I’d like to sleep close to you.” she rambled nervously, making him grin. He was thankful that apparently he wasn’t the only one nervous.

When he nodded, her tense shoulders visibly relaxed. She made quick work of removing stray clothes off her bed, haphazardly throwing them onto the recliner nearby. Oliver really wanted to watch her for a bit longer, but also needed to change.  
“I’ll go and change real quick.”

Felicity nodded and watched him leave. The moment he was out the door, she flew into action. The dress was over her head before she even reached the bathroom, the toothbrush in her mouth while simultaneously wiping off her makeup with the other hand. When she realized she didn’t have any sleeping clothes with her, she dashed back into the room and grabbed everything she needed, her toothbrush still safely tucked between her teeth. Yay multitasking.  
When she emerged from the bathroom minutes later, with her hair freshly brushed and a layer of deodorant sprayed on all needed areas, Oliver was already waiting for her in the doorway, dressed in sweatpants and a white t-shirt. Lucky was sitting by his feet, looking thoroughly confused by the sudden change of sleeping arrangements. Felicity smiled and dimmed the light in the bathroom before hopping under the sheets, motioning for Oliver to take the other side of the bed. A hint of a smile covered his cheeks when he stepped into her bedroom, but surprisingly Lucky didn’t follow him. The little dog still sat in the doorway, looking from Felicity to Oliver without getting up.  
“Come on in, little buddy. My bed sure is big enough for you, too.” she smiled and patted the sheets at the foot of her bed. Lucky got up, but still didn’t step inside. Only a small whine left him that got Oliver’s attention.

“Oh now we’re being polite?” Oliver chuckled at his dog’s antics. “Well when she says you can come in, then come in.” he grinned and as if the dog understood his owner, he immediately entered the room and trotted over to the bed, jumped onto the recliner and then the mattress.

Felicity had watched the scene with an amused grin. She had long gotten used to the special friendship these two had with each other, and trying to understand how it worked was something she couldn’t muster. So she just enjoyed their friendly banters and interactions.  
As soon as Lucky had found his perfect spot at the foot of their bed, right between their feet, Felicity dimmed the light on her nightstand. With the curtains only half drawn there was still enough moonlight shining into the room to make out Oliver’s features.  
He was lying on his side, facing her, his hands tucked under one of her pillows. She mirrored his position and for a long moment, neither of them spoke. They just looked at each other.  
“This was one of the most eventful days I’ve had in a long time.” she sighed, her voice barely above a whisper. “And we didn’t even do anything besides sitting on the couch.”

Oliver chuckled once but then his face grew serious again.  
“I’m sorry if I ruined your evening. It was never my intention to unload all that stuff on you.”

She grabbed one of his hands in hers and intertwined her fingers with him.  
“I asked for it. And you didn’t ruin anything, Oliver. You finally shared your life with me. That’s something I’ll cherish forever.”

He had nothing to say to that, so he kept looking at her instead. They had been snuggling on her couch for a while now, but actually sharing a bed with her was something entirely new to him. And he had no idea how it was possible, but her sheets were even softer than his own. He couldn’t really blame Lucky for sneaking into her room a few weeks ago. Being so close to her definitely was heaven.

Felicity couldn’t stifle the yawn that left her the moment she tucked the sheet over her shoulder. It had been an exhausting evening, after all, and if her own exhaustion was any indication then Oliver must be completely beat.  
And even though she would’ve loved to watch him lie next to her for a bit longer, the moment she closed her eyes she was fast asleep.

Oliver watched her eyelids flutter closed and her head growing heavy on the pillow. Lucky was equally dead to the world already. And while he was ready to pass out himself, too, he just couldn’t look away from the woman that had invited him into her home and her heart. He still couldn’t fathom why she loved him, but it felt incredibly good nonetheless. Never in his entire relationship with Laurel had he felt the words spoken with as much truth as Felicity had spoken them. And for the first time in a long time he allowed himself this little piece of happiness that had been handed to him.

 

Felicity knew even before she opened her eyes in the middle of the night that she had molested poor Oliver in his sleep. Her leg lay draped over his, her arm and head snuggled closely over his chest. It made her feel a tiny bit sorry for him because she knew her sleeping habits. She definitely wasn't one of those girls who slept through the entire night in that one position they fell asleep in. No, sleep definitely was a full contact sport for Felicity - one she had yet to master with someone else sharing the bed with her.

But she also reveled in the heat radiating from his chest and the firmness of his body. And since Oliver was still fast asleep, she took her time to fully take him in for a while. His face looked so relaxed, so free of any signs of stress, or anguish, or a past troubling him. It made him look years younger and Felicity wished to see that look on him more permanently. After everything he’d told her, she couldn’t even begin to imagine what an amount of weight he must have carried around with himself all the time. A lost child, a horrible family, newspapers ruining his reputation with lies upon lies, losing everything that was precious to him and still ending up on the street... surviving for years, despite the fact that he had nothing left to live for.  
The realization almost brought her to tears. Oliver was such an incredibly strong man, she just wished he saw that, too. It would give him the extra boost of confidence to step back into the light and stop hiding from his father. Not only for himself but for the sake of his daughter, too, by openly honoring her memory.

Before she’d realized it, she was tracing the outline of his jar with a fingertip. Oliver didn’t stir at first, so she kept doing it. In the past few weeks they had gotten to know each other on a whole new level, but moments like this were still very precious to Felicity. She rarely saw him so open and vulnerable yet so beautiful at the same time.  
She traced his nose up to his eyebrows, her fingertip gently flying over every little contour of his face. But then she reached a sensitive area at his ear and his eyelids fluttered open. She expected him to freak out, or to be confused about his whereabouts for a moment, just like he did weeks ago, but much to her surprise he smiled at her and placed a kiss on the finger still hovering over his face.

“Hi,” she whispered, smiling so widely she just couldn’t help herself.

“Hi.” he whispered back.

“I still need to get used to this,” she said, motioning between them. “Sorry for sleeping all over you. I get a little territorial when it comes to my bed sheets.” she told him a little shyly.

“Oh I don’t mind you hogging all the sheets. It gives me the excuse to snuggle closer to you.” he replied, his voice merely above a whisper.  
Even though the night colored the room in almost complete darkness aside from the moonlight shining through the clouds, she could still see his piercing blue eyes staring right at her. Coupled with his soft words, it made her heartbeat pick up speed suddenly.

Then he slowly leaned in for a kiss. Felicity wasn’t one to deny him, so she leaned forward and met his lips. But the moment she did, that nervous flutter that had been running through her suddenly multiplied. Oliver was here, with her, in her bed. Long forgotten were the disturbing things he had revealed about his past - at that moment it was only him and her. Right there, in her bed. She wanted him and didn’t want to wait any longer.

Deepening the kiss, her arms wrapped around his neck and back, pulling his body flush with hers. A groan left him the moment their lower bodies crashed together, only separated through his boxer briefs and her thin sleep shorts.  
When Felicity wrapped one leg over his hip and tried to pull him over her, Oliver hesitated for a moment and broke away from her lips.  
“Felicity, I…”

“I want this,” she cut him off with a soft voice. “I want you.”

The adoration in her eyes and the utter love he saw in them finally undid him.  
“It’s been a while.” he confessed, sounding almost embarrassed. “I might not last very long.”

The wide smile that crept up her lips removed all the tension from him. Wrapping her hands around his neck, she pulled him down for another kiss.  
“Well then I suggest we work on that.” she murmured onto his lips.

It felt as if a switch had been turned inside him at her words. His lips crashed back onto hers while his hands started finding their way under her shirt. He was suddenly a man on a mission, eager to explore areas of her body he yet hadn’t had the chance to.  
The sudden commotion on the mattress woke up Lucky who, after several unsuccessful attempts at gaining any attention, reluctantly jumped off the mattress and got himself comfortable on the rug next to Oliver’s side of the bed.

With quick moves Oliver had her sleep shirt off her body and thrown on the floor. Felicity was dying to do the same about his shirt, but his strong arms caging her in restricted her movements. Seeming to sense her intentions, he sat up and slowly removed his shirt, his eyes never leaving hers.  
The moment his bare torso came into view, she couldn’t help rake her eyes over his chest. He had gained so much weight and muscle over the last few weeks and she couldn’t help but wanting to feel it under her fingertips.

Oliver let her admire him for a little bit longer, even though her intense stare made him a little uncomfortable. His body wasn’t fully back in the shape he’d been years ago before ending up on the street, but the fact that Felicity looked at him with so much love and hunger in her eyes gave him confidence. She hadn’t cared about his looks when he was at his lowest and he knew she wasn’t superficial like that.

Leaning down, he took her lips in a bruising kiss. Felicity instantly wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing his chest onto hers. She inhaled sharply the moment his calloused palm got in contact with her breast. His fingers, though slightly rough from the hard labour they were used to, drew feather light circles around her right nipple. She didn’t want his lips to leave hers, but the moment they traveled over her neck and down her collarbone, she lost all coherent thought.  
  


He groaned the moment her palm came in contact with the bulge in his boxer briefs. It didn’t distract him for long, though. As soon as his lips found one of her nipples, his hands made its way inside her damp sleep shorts, finding her wet and ready. He quickly pushed the material down her legs and reached for her clit, rubbing it softly in agonizingly slow circles. It wasn’t long before she was bucking against his hand, followed by a sudden orgasm that crashed through her forcefully.

As she came back from her orgasmic state, she could feel his racing heart against her chest.  
“I want to be inside you so bad.” he murmured and peppered her with kisses everywhere his lips could reach.

It took her a moment and a little fumbling to rid him of his boxer briefs. But as soon as she took in his sheer size for the first time, a gasp left her. The past weeks had already given her an idea that Oliver was apparently very well endowed in that department, but seeing him now, in the flesh and fully erect, sent a new wave of wetness between her thighs. She couldn’t wait to feel him inside of her.

Oliver leaned down and kissed her tenderly, his tongue softly exploring her mouth. Pressing down on top of her, his bare chest met her tight nipples, sending a jolt of electricity through her that only skin-on-skin contact could provide.  
Lying gloriously naked on top of her, his kisses soon turned more urgent and demanding. He kissed a trail down her neck, stopping to worship that sweet spot near her collarbone that drove her wild.  
Spreading her legs to wrap one around his thighs and pull him closer also brought his hard length in direct contact with her over-sensitive clit. She couldn’t hold back the moan that left her. Even though he’d given her an earth-shattering orgasm just minutes ago, she needed more. Much more.

“You’re so gorgeous...” he whispered and trailed a fingertip along her stomach, tracing her belly button with artistic movements.  
While his lips slowly traveled down her body, his hands busied themselves with her nipples. Felicity was so overwhelmed with sensations that she couldn’t form a coherent thought. She wanted to touch him, too; do so many things to him, but the way he kept distracting her with his lips and hands, all intentions to move her arms flew out the window. She couldn’t help but wrap one hand in his short hair and the other in the bed sheets next to her. Never before had someone made her feel that way with just his lips and fingers.

Oliver’s lips kept trailing over her stomach and lower - kissing, nipping and softly biting the skin he encountered on his way. He focused on her inner thigh for a moment, licking and kissing his way toward the place she needed him the most. She was on fire, desperate. So much so, that she even wasn’t above begging.  
“Please don’t tease me, Oliver. Please.”

She could feel a small smile on her thighs for a second before his tongue finally hit her clit and began softly circling it. Her hips lurched toward his face, her hands tightening its grip on his head. The more he nibbled and licked on her clit, the more she bucked toward his mouth and moaned with pleasure.  
Oliver was relentless. His tongue pushed inside her wetness, then back out, licking and circling her clit. Felicity spread her legs wider, opening herself up more for him.  
“You taste so good…” he moaned between licks, seeming unable to stop.

Not that she would ever ask him to. She could feel herself getting close to another orgasm. When he gave her clit a sudden, strong lick, Felicity went over the edge with a long moan, her legs shaking violently, her hand gripping his scalp so tightly Oliver was momentarily glad he’d allowed her to chop off his long hair. He was sure a good amount of it would’ve been ripped out by her at that moment.

When her grip on his head loosened, he slowly crawled his way back up her body. His cock was so hard it hurt and he couldn’t wait to sink it into her soft folds. Four long years he hadn’t done that, and now he got to do it with this beautiful woman still writhing from the aftershocks of two orgasms underneath him. Waiting four years had never felt so right.  
Without thinking, Felicity reached between her legs to position him at her opening. He sucked in a deep breath the moment the head of his cock got in contact with her wet heat.

He was ready to bury himself inside of her, but suddenly froze and looked down at her.  
“Do you have a condom? I never needed them, so I don’t carry any with me.”  
He looked so stricken and nervous all of a sudden that she couldn’t help but smile softly at him. Never taking her eyes off him, she reached over to her nightstand, opened the top drawer and fumbled around for a bit until the distinct wrinkle of a foil wrapper broke the silence in the room. With a triumphant smile on her lips she handed him the condom.  
“Thank god I let Katie talk me into keeping this silly ‘naughty gift basket’ she gave me for my birthday last year.”

Oliver quirked an amused eyebrow at her while sheathing himself.  
“Oh really? What else was in there?”

An impish grin crept up her lips while she watched him.  
“Oh you know, just silly things... furry cuffs, a massage roller - that’s actually great and the only thing I’m using for my shoulders,” she quickly added. “Massage oil, a blindfold, vibrator, …”

That last thing made his eyes flash for a moment.  
“And you still have all these things.” he asked and climbed back between her legs.

Felicity nodded and motioned for her nightstand.  
“All in there. I never used anything, but I still have it.”

“Oh we’re so going to change that.” he promised her with a devilish glint in his eyes, something she hadn’t seen on him before. It suddenly amped up the tension between them at what they were about to do.

Ending the conversation between them with a deep kiss, Felicit let him take the lead. He’d told her it had been a while since he’d last done it and she didn’t want this moment to be over too soon. But the moment she felt the thick head of his cock at her opening, a moan left her, silenced by Oliver’s lips.  
He pushed in ever so slowly, letting her body adjust to his size. Breaking the kiss, he looked into her eyes and thrust a little bit harder each time, jaw clenched, hips rolling slowly until finally he was all the way inside her.

“Shit, give me a moment...”  
He closed his eyes and bit his bottom lip, the pleasure too intense in that moment. She could only imagine the internal struggle in him, willing himself not to come so soon, so she let him pause for a few seconds. But her body grew impatient after a moment, bumping her hips up toward him, making it clear that she was ready for him to start moving.  
Oliver opened his eyes and smiled down at her, leaning down for a kiss as he finally began to drive his hips.

Every small push of his hips drew out a soft moan from her. She was far beyond caring if she sounded like a wanton woman or even a cheap hooker. The way Oliver moved inside her, the way he grazed spots inside of her she never knew existed, she just let it all out.  
After a few firmer thrusts, he moved his face into the column of her neck, moaning and panting softly.  
“I dreamed of being inside you for so long. You feel so fucking good, Felicity.”

His words, combined with the feel of his hot breath on her neck and his deep thrusts were more than she could take.  
“I’m gonna come,” she whimpered. How that was possible again, so soon, she had no idea. Never before had she managed to climax more than two times in one night, let alone three, but Oliver seemed to do things to her body she couldn’t even imagine.

He sped up his movements until she could feel it - an orgasm so intense that she could actually feel her walls squeezing him tightly.  
“Oh fuck. I can feel you coming…”  
Oliver growled deep and low as he pumped into her with a final thrust, emptying himself into the thin barrier separating them. The weight of his body crashed onto hers as he breathed into her neck, still pulsing inside her with the aftershocks of his orgasm.  
After what seemed like an eternity, he finally pulled out of her, leaving her with a hollow and empty feeling for a moment.

 

Oliver made quick work of disposing the condom in her bathroom before he returned back to bed. A thoroughly confused Lucky was sitting on the recliner at the foot of her bed, obviously a little nervous to get back to his spot. Oliver couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of Felicity under the sheets, looking all mussed up and thoroughly satisfied, trying to sweet-talk Lucky into coming back into bed. The dog shot a nervous glance from her to Oliver, but when Oliver got back under the sheets on his side of the mattress, Lucky slowly stepped back onto it, too.  
“I’m pretty sure we’ve thoroughly scared him.” Felicity laughed softly and rubbed the dog’s ears while he tried to get himself into a comfortable sleeping position on the mussed up sheets.

“Well it’s not that he’s ever seen me doing this.” Oliver chuckled.

“Poor guy needs a girlfriend.” Felicity grinned and waggled her eyebrows. “Could you imagine a house full of little Lucky’s, running around causing trouble everywhere they go?”

With an amused grin Oliver lifted one of Lucky’s hind legs and shrugged a shoulder.  
“Certain reproductive parts have been removed, I’m afraid.”

Felicity feigned shock and put a hand on her heart.  
“Oh my god Oliver, how could you? Robbing him of his manhood like that!”

“Wasn’t me.” he laughed. “I never would’ve done such a vile thing to him. Poor soul. Makes my balls hurt just thinking about it.”

“I like your balls. Please keep them.” Felicity grinned sheepishly and leaned back into her pillow, her smiling eyes trained solely on Oliver.

“I don’t intend to get rid of any body part soon, don’t you worry.” he winked back and pulled her in for a kiss.

They didn’t speak after that, just lay in each other’s arms for a while with Lucky at their feet between them. At some point, Felicity turned over and let Oliver spoon her from behind, feeling more content than ever with his arms around her.

“Thank you.” she heard him whisper just before she was about to drift off to sleep.

Felicity slightly turned her head up.  
“For what?”

“For being who you are. For accepting me who I am. For believing me. It means more to me than you could ever imagine.”

Instead of replying, she wrapped his arm a little tighter around herself and placed a soft kiss on the back of his hand. Falling asleep like that had never felt more right.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey gang!  
> Thanks so much for the many, many well wishes and kind words. I promise I'm totally fine again :)
> 
> So without further ado, here's another chapter. We don't have many left, actually. After this one it'll probably be 3 more plus an epilogue. (and I already have so many awesome stories lined up next! ❤ )

The next morning Felicity awoke to sunlight streaming through her half drawn curtains. Despite the still freezing temperatures and the several inches of snow it looked like a lovely day was ahead of them. But when she looked over her shoulder, she found the other half of her bed empty. Only Lucky still lay sound asleep at her feet, but Oliver was nowhere to be found. The bathroom light was out and his clothes were gone, too, so she could only imagine he was either showering in the guest room, or downstairs already.  
Remembering the lovely evening they had together, followed by the most heavy conversation Felicity ever had, she could imagine that he probably needed a little time to himself. Heck, even she herself could need some time to fully process everything Oliver had told her just hours ago.  
And her mind was already running a mile a minute. She wanted to find out more about his daughter and about the man that was Oliver’s father, but most importantly about Oliver’s sister Thea. She sounded like such an amazing young woman that had been Oliver’s only strong shoulder at a time when he so badly needed it. To think that their bond had been severed only because of his father’s doings made her incredibly angry. And it pulled on her protective streak, the one that already had her synapses firing on how to get in touch with Thea Queen. But all in due time. First she needed to find the man she loved and kiss him good morning.

 

Lucky was alerting Oliver of their presence. When he came out of the kitchen, carrying a tray of food in his hands, he stopped short the moment he saw her standing in the hallway with Lucky at her feet. It made him realize that this was the exact view he wanted to wake up to every morning for the rest of his life.  
“I wanted to surprise you with breakfast in bed.” he pouted with a small smile.

“And I woke up feeling lonely.” she smiled back at him.  
Looking around the room an idea popped into her head.  
“What about breakfast by the fireplace?”

Together, they settled in front of the fire, the small breakfast tray between them. Felicity hadn’t bothered putting on more than her morning robe, but thankfully Oliver was just as casually dressed in last night’s clothes. Even his feet were still bare, tucked neatly under his thighs.  
She studied him for a long moment over the rim of her coffee mug. He seemed completely oblivious to her stares, feeding Lucky small pieces of his apple, so she took her time to openly check him out for a moment.

She couldn’t remember ever seeing him so relaxed, so at ease with himself ever before. Not since he started staying with her, and certainly not before that. And for a fleeting moment, she made herself believe that it was solely because of her, because he finally trusted her and started opening up. If that really was the case, or if he only needed someone he could unload all this stuff onto that troubled him, she had no idea. But for that fleeting moment, she willed herself to believe only her could do that to Oliver, and no one else.

“How do you feel?” she asked him and nibbled on an apple slice.

“Good, really good. I think I’ve slept better than I have in years.”

“Yeah, my bed does that to people.” she chuckled softly.

He smiled at her and leaned over the tray to steal a kiss from her.  
“Or maybe it’s you that does it to me.”

She couldn’t fight the blush that colored cheeks at his words. It had been so long since she shared a bed with someone and even longer since she had slept with someone, so hearing these words from Oliver did funny things to her heart.

But then she remembered the conversation from the night before, and a thought crossed her mind. Sitting back straighter, her face became serious.  
“You said you’re visiting someone every first sunday of the month. Do you go to see your daughter? I remember you coming home with dirt on your hands and clothes a few weeks ago.”

Oliver seemed surprised by her words but thankfully, he didn’t look uncomfortable when she brought up his daughter. If anything, even the tiniest of a smile crept up his lips.  
“Yeah,” he nodded and put his bagel down on the tray, no longer hungry. “I visit her every month. When I showed up at your place sick and fevering I almost didn’t go. But no matter how shitty my life had been in the last years, I never missed visiting her. Not once.”

He seemed so proud of that fact while he spoke, so determined to keep doing this for the rest of his life, that she couldn’t help wondering why he had visited Ariel only twice ever since he moved in with her.  
“But why do you visit her only once a month? And only on that specific day, too?”

Oliver looked down at his hands for a moment, looking just as nervous and broken as he did the night before, when he’d shared all his secrets with her.  
“It’s the only safe day I can visit her.” At Felicity’s confused frown, he went to explain further. “After I lost the apartment and basically disappeared from the surface, my father no longer had the chance to find me and threaten me back into the family. But he knew the one place he’d always find me, sooner or later - Ariel’s grave. I even had to time my fucking visits to the cemetery so I wouldn’t run into my father and give him another opportunity to talk me down, how fucking lame is that?” he laughed ironically and closed his eyes with a shake of his head, looking almost disappointed in himself. “So I only went when I knew for sure he wouldn’t be there. Once a month he meets with his golf buddies, all some high level company owners from all over the country. And if one thing my father absolutely doesn’t want to lose, then it’s prestige. He even skipped his own children’s birthdays for golf night more than once. So I knew I’d never meet him there during that time. It quickly became my only safe chance to visit my daughter and spend some time at her grave.”

An immense amount of anger started to well up in Felicity at Oliver’s words. After everything Robert had done to his own son, after everything Oliver had to go through, his own father even took away Oliver’s chance to visit his daughter in peace, whenever he felt like seeing her. She was so going to put an end on that and give Oliver the life back he deserved for 4 long years.

They didn’t talk much after that, a weird tension hanging between them with Oliver lost in his head. Thankfully Lucky was once again the one to break them out of it. When the little dog sat whining at the front door, Oliver turned towards Felicity who was putting away the last coffee mug.  
“I’m talking Lucky for a walk. It’s such a beautiful day and he looks eager to get out.”

Felicity could see that Oliver was eager to get out himself as well, but she didn’t comment on it. Instead, she nodded with a small smile and walked over to him and wrapped him in a hug.  
“I wanted to run a bath and change the sheets in the house, anyway. Take your time.”  
She could only imagine how much he’d need an hour to himself to clear his thoughts after the last 24 hours. Lord knew she did, too.

The moment Oliver left the apartment, Felicity had the laptop sitting in front of her. For a moment she wondered if she was messing with his privacy, but then she remembered that this stuff had been available for the whole world to see, so it wasn’t as if she was overstepping any boundaries here.  
As soon as she hit ‘Oliver Queen Starling City’ in her google search and hundreds upon hundreds of different newspapers showed up, her eyes went wide. After what Oliver had told her, she already guessed there would be quite a few articles online, but never in her wildest dreams did she expect this amount.

For almost one hour she browsed different websites and read hundreds of articles, about ‘the fall of Starling City’s most eligible bachelor’ to ‘Oliver Queen back to his playboy ways’ and quite a few disturbing ones in between. The amount of lies these newspapers spread were almost laughable but it also wasn’t lost on her that only one newspaper out of the lot actually questioned Laurel Lance’s part in Oliver’s demise while all the others praised the poor unwanted fiancée to heaven. What also surprised her to no end was the absolute silence about Ariel Queen’s death. Not one newspaper even mentioned the girls’ name, or printed an obituary, or even a report of the accident. She knew that without proper technology she wouldn’t be able to find out the reasons behind that, but she made it her mission to find out as soon as she got back to Palmer Tech.

 

Oliver and Lucky returned back home just when she finished changing the sheets in her room. She hadn’t bothered putting on fresh ones in Oliver’s room. They hadn’t talked about the new sleeping arrangements yet, but for Felicity things were settled. She didn’t want to spend another night without him in bed and hoped he shared these feelings.

“I have a confession to make,” she began when they were both comfortably settled on the couch. After clearing her throat, she took his hand in hers, suddenly nervous of how he would react. “I looked up your name on google. Read some of the articles.”  
_The rest I’m going to work through as soon as I’m back at work._

Oliver nodded once and didn’t reply, but Felicity could feel the sudden tension in his body. His back went ramrod straight, his fingers suddenly tense in hers. It seemed as if he braced himself for being sent away, being rejected, or to hear she no longer believed him. It made her aware once again what a number his father had done on this man’s confidence.

“I have to admit I’m a little surprised.” she continued with a warm smile, much to Oliver’s confusion. He looked at her with a furrowed brow, clearly not expecting what she just said.  
“I mean, _Cancun_? Did they really believe you eloped to Mexico and married a hooker there?”

He laughed out loud at that. It was the first time he’d heard of that headline and back when John showed him some of the stuff that had been written about him, he sure read some ridiculous ones.

“Wait,” she suddenly sat straight up and looked at him with wide eyes. “Did you?”

Her flummoxed expression made him laugh only harder.  
“No, I didn’t run off to Mexico to marry a prostitute there. I’ve never even been to Mexico.”

Felicity nodded and relaxed back into the couch.  
“But I was also surprised how little the newspapers had to say about your daughter. In fact, I couldn’t remember reading anything about her at all in all the articles I’ve read. How could that be, since especially the Starling Inquirer seemed to have analyzed your entire life after you disappeared.”  
She didn’t tell him that she planned to do a thorough research as soon as she was back at Palmer Tech.

“I had no idea what the media posted until one day I saw a newspaper that said Ariel had started attending a private boarding school in Switzerland. It was just a two liner among an article about Laurel and the terrible stress she had to endure with cancelling all the wedding preparations after I ran off on her.”  
Remembering the newspaper with the article that he’d found in a trash can one day, his thoughts drifted off to the time he’d read it for the first time. Seeing the big, fat lie printed out about a little girl that had just passed away had sent him into a spiral of pain. He’d kept that specific newspaper until it was so frayed and washed out that it fell apart. Only then he allowed himself to part with the last little memento he had of his daughter.  
  


He needed a moment to find back into the present, but Felicity didn’t rush him. She sat patiently by his side, his hand clasped in hers, and waited for him to continue speaking, just like she did the night before. It made him adore her even more than he already did.  
“I can’t recall seeing anything printed right after the accident and that can only be thanks to Lance and my father. At the time I hated him for hiding Ariel’s bane existence like that from the world, but now I’m thankful he did it. Because he kept my precious girl away from all the dirt that surrounds my family in the media. Only few people knew about her, and apparently even fewer cared when she disappeared. It made sense to me back then when I adopted her to keep things off the media, simply because it would have meant stress for Ariel had they known. The newspapers aren’t exactly known to be... subtle, when it came to my life, so of course I followed my mother’s advice and kept everything behind closed doors. But after she passed away it all started to feel like she was never really there. No one asked about her because no one knew. She was a part of my family, but then again she wasn’t.”

The sadness that overcame him almost broke her. Squeezing his hand tightly she tried to get his attention.  
“She was a part of you, Oliver. That’s all that matters. She was your family. She and your sister. The rest isn’t of importance. Especially not the media.”

He smiled weakly but still looked incredibly sad. Letting go of her hand, he leaned his head back into the couch and pressed his palms over his eyes for a moment.  
“I’m so tired.” he whispered, his voice full of exhaustion.

Felicity knew he wasn’t just talking about the fact that he’d barely gotten a few hours of sleep the night before. He was talking about being tired of carrying all this weight for so long, tired of having to shoulder all this crap by himself for years, always too scared to open up to the wrong person. Oliver was freaking exhausted and damn, she couldn’t blame him for that. Not after hearing this clusterfuck of a story from him with more and more details surfacing every day.  
She knew there wasn’t much she could do for him at that moment, but giving him the safest and most trusting surroundings, not only through her house but herself as well, was something she gladly offered to him.

“I haven’t had a good afternoon nap in ages.” she fake yawned and reached for the blanket that was hanging over the back of her couch. Getting herself comfortable, she waited for Oliver to do the same and covered them both with the blanket. “But I heard it’s like a power boost for your system. So here’s what we’re going to do now,” she announced with a firm voice and pulled him to lie alongside with her and snuggled closer into his side. “We’re going to take a power nap now, and then I’m making us dinner.”

“Sounds perfect.” he whispered, kissed her temple and snuggled closer to her. The soft crackle of the fireplace quickly lulled them both off to sleep.

 

Felicity wasn’t sure if it was the grumbling of her own stomach, or Olivers, that woke her up two hours later. She blinked her eyes open slowly and found Oliver still fast asleep in the exact same position he had been in when they lay down, giving her a small idea of how exhausted he really must have been after the eventful day before. That, or true exhaustion must have finally kicked in after he could unload his problems onto someone else for the first time. Either way, she didn’t want to wake him up, so she carefully slid off the couch and wrapped him in the blanket they shared. Cooking without disturbing him would be a tough challenge, be the idea of surprising him with dinner shot her to action.  
Lucky had been occupied with another chew stick from his gift box so he wouldn’t bother her while she was busy in the kitchen. After a quick scan of the contents of her fridge and pantry, she decided on spaghetti with meatballs. Not too hard to make, so the chance of ruining the meal wasn’t that likely. It also helped that this was the only meal her mother had taught her how to make.

The smell of food woke Oliver up half an hour later. Felicity was just finishing setting up the table when he got up from the couch.  
“If the way you look is any indication as to how the kitchen is looking right now, I’m not going to clean up tonight.” he chuckled and took in her sauce-stained shirt and face, her thoroughly mussed up hair and - was that a piece of meatball in her ponytail?  
“It smells great,” he whispered after closing the distance and wrapped her in his arms. “You should have woken me up. I could’ve helped.”

She shook her head and smiled up at him.  
“You needed the sleep.”

“I did.” he sighed and took a step back from her, taking in the table.  
“So that’s where the piece of meatball in your hair comes from.” he grinned and laughed out loud when he saw her eyes went wide and her fingers hastily running through her hair. She closed her eyes and groaned in embarrassment the moment her fingers located said piece of food in her locks.

After a change of clothes, they both enjoyed their dinner. Since Oliver had always been the one cooking for them in the last weeks she was a little nervous if it would taste alright, but if the amount of food he was shoveling into himself was any indication, it must have tasted pretty well. Not that she planned to make that a regular occasion.

They took another long walk with Lucky later in the evening, their gloved hands firmly intertwined with each other while they walked through her neighborhood. Felicity pointed out several of the Shoemakers friends’ houses so Oliver wouldn’t be completely lost when he started his first work day. Some houses looked a little more run down than others and probably required more than just a simple plumbing job, but all in all he was excited to start his new job soon.  
When they got back home, Felicity went through his schedule with him again, leaving him little personal notes and post-its about each client. He learned so much about the people in her neighborhood before even meeting one of them yet that he started to feel a little nervous. These people were Felicity’s friends, or at least friends of her friends. Either way, she had vouched for him and and he was going to make damn sure he wouldn’t mess it up.

 

Sleeping arrangements didn’t become a topic that night, much to Felicity’s surprise. She had already laid out a string of convincing arguments in her head as to why Oliver should sleep in her room again, ready to fire at him the moment he was about to protest. But surprisingly, she didn’t need any of them. Instead, Oliver grabbed her hand on their way up and walked straight to her bedroom.

She badly wanted to turn around and start attacking him with her limbs and mouth and tongue the moment they both slipped under the covers. But she knew he had a stressful first day at work ahead of him the next morning, so giving him enough time to rest and re-energize was the sensible thing to do. Even though her libido screamed bloody murder at her.

 

When she woke up the next morning it seemed as if everything was back to its usual ways between them. Except it wasn’t. Oliver was already up and responsible for the delicious smell of coffee that wafted through the house. Now the tables were turned, with him getting ready for work instead of her.  
Since Felicity didn’t have to get ready, she just put on her robe and padded downstairs. Even Lucky was already up and running around. Oliver smiled at her when she came downstairs and grabbed her favourite mug, but he didn’t say much.  
“Nervous?” she asked him softly, wrapped her arms around his stomach and rested her head on his broad shoulders while he poured himself another coffee.

“Yeah,” he nodded and turned around in her arms. “This is the first real job I’ve had in years. And I don’t want to mess it up. Your name is at stake here, too.”

“Oh pish posh,” she waved him off. “They came to me asking for your help, not the other way round. Don’t worry too much, it’ll be alright. You just go over to Mrs.Carter, enjoy the tea she’ll offer you, listen to what she needs fixed and then you’ll tell her whether or not you can do it. Easy peasy. No one will expect you to rebuild their house.” she smiled at him, tilted her chin up and got up on her tip toes.  
“And now kiss me good morning, please.”

Oliver gladly obeyed. They had a small breakfast together before he had to leave for his first client. Felicity assured him she’d take Lucky for a walk so he wouldn’t have to worry about that. With one last kiss for her and an ear ruffle for Lucky, Oliver grabbed his toolbox and headed out.  
Felicity watched him leave, proud beyond words at how far Oliver had come in the last months. And she was going to make sure that fixing the neighbor's houses wouldn’t be end of the ladder for him. No, there was at least one unfinished business for him to attend to - his father.  
With that thought in her head, she dressed in jeans and a sweater, leashed up Lucky and wrapped herself in a warm coat.  
“We have to make a quick stop at work today.” she spoke softly and ruffled Lucky’s ears while the little dog eagerly trotted alongside her, heading straight for the subway.

 

Her office was completely deserted when the elevator doors opened. Ray didn’t seem to be in either and Katie apparently had the day off, too. But that suited her just fine. The less people aware of her being at work, the better.

A stack of small white envelopes sitting on Katie’s desk caught her attention. She digged through them, each employee’s name on them, until she found hers. As soon as she opened it, the invitation card for the annual New Year’s Party at Palmer Tech greeted her. She had completely forgotten about that one. In all the years before she had just done her usual round, greeted a few colleagues from different offices out of state and then usually went back home before Ray or any of the other single men could seek her out. But now, with Oliver by her side, she couldn’t help but daydream for a moment about how it would feel to show up with him. She safely tucked the envelope into her bag and made a mental note to carefully broach the subject over dinner.

Removing the leash from Lucky’s collar, she pulled out his chewing toy from her bag and let him roam through her office.  
“Don’t pee on my fern.” she warned, but the dog was completely oblivious to her, already sniffing and inspecting the room.

As soon as she had her systems fired up, she started digging. She knew that Oliver would be occupied with Mrs.Carter for at least two hours. Poor woman had no relatives and always got a little overly excited when someone stopped by. The actual business would only take him roughly 20 minutes, but Felicity knew from experience that the elderly woman would never let him go before at least tasting a slice of her famous apple pie and drink some of her english tea.  
At least that would give Felicity enough time to research and she wouldn’t have to worry about Oliver coming back home hungry.

 

When she left her office an hour later, her mind was spinning. So many things had turned up during her research, but in the end, most of these things would require some more, even deeper digging to get the answers she was looking for. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to dig it all up in an hour, not after everything Oliver had told her. But the moment she stumbled over that one article, she knew she had to stop her research for the day and head back home.  
With her palm firmly wrapped around the small USB device in her pocket, she made a quick detour into the city before heading home with Lucky.

Oliver wasn’t back home when she arrived, so she put the take out in the oven and changed into her sweatpants. It had been a while since they had chinese, so she was excited to give it another try with the chopsticks.  
An hour later, a thoroughly exhausted Oliver stepped into the apartment. Lucky immediately stormed over and greeted his friend, happy to have him back. He took the little dog in his arms and walked into the living room. But as soon as his eyes landed on hers, Felicity broke out in a small chuckle.  
“I swear I’m sorry.” she laughed. “Mrs.Carter is known to be a little... talkative. I should’ve told you.”

“Did you know that her first husband used to run a grocery store? I do, because she told me. Five times.” he groaned and sat down on the couch next to her.

It only made her laugh harder.  
“But hey, you got some pie, drank some nice tea -”

“Earl Grey is not what I would consider a ‘nice tea’.” he protested and Felicity kept laughing. “But she’s a really nice lady. And I can see that she definitely needs help with the house. I’ll check back tomorrow to fix her sink and next week, if the weather stays fine, I’ll replace the insulation under her roof. The stuff is only hanging by a thread.”

It filled her with pride that Oliver was already so invested with work, after a mere day out. It also gave her the confidence that she had made the right call with the gift she had gotten for him. Speaking of gifts…  
“I’ve got something for you.” she suddenly announced, hopped up from the couch and headed upstairs. Oliver’s confused eyes followed her and when she returned back downstairs a minute later, he could see her hiding something behind her back.  
She sat back down next to him, smiled a little shyly and handed him a flat, paper wrapped gift.

He frowned at her for a second, but then took it and unwrapped the paper. As soon as his eyes fell on what was inside, they went wide in shock.  
“Felicity, how…”

“I found it while searching the internet,” she shrugged shyly. “I ended up on the website of that ballet studio and found the pic in their archive.”

Oliver stared at the framed picture in his hands for a long time without saying anything. He had never seen it before, but the way Ariel looked in it, it must have been taken just weeks before the accident.

“The moment I saw it, I remembered that you said you lost your most prized possession when someone stole your backpack. So I just had to print and frame it for you. Now you can properly remember her and will never have to worry about having the photo stolen again.”  
She placed a small USB device in his hand with all the pictures of Ariel she could find on the ballet studio’s website. “I couldn’t find much, and most of the pictures on there are older than the one I had framed, but I figured it’s better than nothing.” she smiled softly.

At her words her looked up at her, set the frame in his lap and wrapped her face between his hands. He stared into her eyes for what seemed like an eternity but then leaned in and kissed her for all he was worth.  
“Thank you, Felicity. This means almost as much to me as you do.”

They sat on the couch for a little longer after that, Ariel’s face smiling at them from the coffee table while Oliver told her sweet stories of his little girl growing up. He seemed happy to share things with her, to remember the little girl that only got to spend 3 years with him, but she could also see that it exhausted him mentally to speak about his daughter.  
Felicity never interrupted him, never asked anything. She just let him share whatever he wanted to share with her and when he became silent after a while, she slid over to him and wrapped him in a tight hug.  
“We should visit her soon, maybe put some christmas decorations up. I’m sure she would like that.”

Oliver nodded absently, but didn’t seem to be fully convinced of the idea. Felicity decided not to further pressure the topic, even though anger welled up in her once again at Robert Queen for making his own son fear his father’s machinations so much that he was even too scared to visit his daughter’s grave whenever he felt like it.

 

During dinner Oliver told her about his first work day and the plans he was already making to fix Mrs.Carter’s house. Felicity offered to take her car should he need to buy supplies, but Oliver said Mrs.Carter had offered him to take her old pick up since she barely drove the car around, anyway.  
All in all he had so much planned after just one day at his new job that Felicity’s heart swelled with pride. The man sitting opposite of her wasn’t the man that passed out on her couch months ago. This was a completely different man, one with a newfound determination in his eyes and a smile on his lips.

Since the conversation was so relaxed, Felicity decided to broach another topic that had been hanging on her shoulders ever since she got back from Palmer Tech.  
“I have another proposition to make.” she began and wiped her mouth on the napkin, no longer hungry. The hope that Oliver would agree to her plans had her stomach in knots suddenly.

“Well then, propose away.” he smiled at her, remembering the last time she’d said that sentence. It made him stay at her place for good.

She pushed her half empty food container aside and leaned her forearms on the table, her fingers fidgeting with each other. He’d rarely seen Felicity nervous before, so he could see this was going to be something important.  
“Every year my company throws a New Year’s party where they invite all employees, even from our offices in Central City and Ivy Town. It’s like a formal party where women get to dress up and men get to enjoy the free booze that’s served.”

Oliver didn’t say anything, but nodded once. He knew these kind of parties all too well. Queen Consolidated had thrown quite a few of them themselves each year.

“So I just got the invitation for it,” she continued and looked up at him with a shy smile on her lips. “And I wanted to ask if you’d like to be my Plus One.”

Oliver’s back went ramrod straight at her words. He knew where she was heading the moment he heard about a party at her workplace. But seeing her eyes glinting with hope and excitement that he actually would agree to her offer, it made him feel a whole lot more awful.  
“Felicity, I -”

“I’ll rent you a tux, of course.” she quickly interrupted him.

“It’s not the dress code.” he smiled weakly at her and took one of her hands in his. “There’s gonna be a ton of people, well known business people. People that will most likely recognize me and subsequently let my father know. That would not only put me in harm’s way again, but most of all you. And I’m not going to let that happen, Felicity. I’m not going to let my father throw you under the bus just to get me back in his grasp.” he spoke and firmly shook his head. The last thing he wanted in his father’s line of vision was Felicity.

A deep frown covered her forehead at his words.  
“Oliver, I don’t want you hiding from your father all the time. Don’t let him rule your life like that. And don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.” she smiled and squeezed his hand in support.

For a long moment, he didn’t reply. He just stared her in the eyes, trying to come up with a solution that wouldn’t hurt her and wouldn’t risk his father getting wind of him again.  
“I promise I’ll think about it, okay?”  
It was the only thing he could say at that moment without agreeing to something he had no idea he could actually do.

Felicity didn’t seem entirely happy with his answer, but smiled and nodded nonetheless.  
“I need to RSVP until the 2nd, make sure to let me know before that, alright?”  
Oliver nodded again and watched her get up from the table, starting to clear out their food containers, leaving him alone with his thoughts for a moment.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to join her to that event. Ever since she went to that christmas party in that golden dress, he wanted nothing more to be the man by her side for these parties, to have her proudly walking around and introducing him as her boyfriend to everyone who asked. But she wasn’t working at a small, unknown company where he didn’t have to risk facing someone who remembered his face, or might even know him personally. No, she was working at one of Starling City’s biggest companies, one that frequently made business deals with Queen Consolidated. So of course the fear of running into a familiar face wasn’t that far-fetched.  
But it wasn’t that he feared the accusations of his sudden disappearance that might come up. He would gladly set everyone straight who asked, but the possibility of his father worming himself back into his life, and subsequently into Felicity’s as well, that was something that had his stomach in knots.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a little late to the party, sorry for the delay. I didn't get to finish editing the chapter last night, so this chapter comes a day late. I will hopefully be able to post the next one back on time, though. :)

Oliver and Felicity both fell into an easy routine after his first day of work. Every morning she came downstairs to the sight of Oliver all dressed up and ready to leave and her favourite coffee mug already waiting for her. They both shared a quick coffee and a few kisses before Oliver headed out to his first client for the day.  
Over the last few days he’d made his rounds in the neighborhood, getting to know the people who needed work done and inspecting the damages he’d have to fix. Most of the stuff could easily be done by him, but some more difficult stuff like fixing the roof or cutting down an old sagging oak in the backyard were things he advised to let professionals do. So for several days he did nothing but drink a whole lot of coffee and tea, talked more than he had in years and took notes of the parts he would have to buy. One evening he borrowed Felicity’s laptop and researched prices for all the parts he’d have to order, and they both took Mrs.Carter’s old truck to the hardware store to purchase everything he’d need for his first job at Mrs.Carter’s place.  
He was about to ask Felicity if she could lend him the money for the materials, but then Mrs.Carter surprised him by stuffing a 50$ bill in his hand, telling him to let her know in case he needed more. He made a mental note to subtract the amount from the total once he was all done at her house.  
  


Every morning after Oliver had left, Felicity also went on with her daily routine. Unbeknownst to Oliver, she took Lucky to Palmer Tech every morning to spend an hour or two on research. Katie had looked thoroughly surprised one morning when Felicity stepped out of the elevator, dressed in jeans and a sweater, carrying Lucky in her arms. But after she quickly told her assistant she had some work to do that she didn’t want to pile up for the new year, Katie left her in peace and spent her time entertaining the dog.

Since Oliver was also still running with John at least twice a week and spent his free afternoons weightlifting in the guest room, Felicity decided to pick up with her yoga sessions again. The weeks after Oliver officially moved in had been terrible for her workout regime. More than once her instructor had sent her a text, telling her she was a slob and definitely needed to come back to the gym soon. And seeing Oliver getting more and more in shape each day, she didn’t want to fall behind. Not with the already minimal workout she was doing, anyway. So she scheduled her first yoga session for the beginning of the next year.

The topic of the new year’s party didn’t come up again, but Felicity also didn’t want to pressure Oliver. She had said her piece of mind and Oliver knew where she stood. It was now solely his decision, though she made plans to stop by the store the following day and rent him a tux, just for good measure.

  
With the new year fast approaching, Felicity knocked on John’s door one morning after Oliver had left for work. It had been way too long since she had time to speak to her closest friend, anyway.  
She got herself comfortable on his kitchen island and waited for John to pour her a coffee. His half eaten breakfast still sat next to her and for a moment she felt bad for interrupting the man during his breakfast time. He barely had a free morning, after all.  
“Just half a cup, John, thank you. I won’t bother you for long.”

“You’re never bothering me, Felicity.” he scolded her over his shoulder, added the perfect amount of sugar and creamer into her mug and slid it over to her.  
“So what brings you over at 8 in the morning on your free day? I have to say I’m surprised you’re already up. Can only be Oliver’s doing.”

“It is,” she grinned and took a sip from her coffee. Perfect. “I just wanted to stop by and ask if you’re working on new year’s eve? Oliver and I will be home and I thought it would be nice to toast to the new year with you and the Shoemakers, maybe even have dinner together.”

“Up until two days ago I would’ve had to decline,” John replied. “But since my client canceled on me, I now have the night off at new year’s. So yeah, why not? It has been way too long since I got to celebrate with you guys and with Oliver now in the group I don’t have to solely rely on Mr.Shoemaker any longer.” he chuckled.

His words made Felicity snicker. Every party that John could attend to, be it thanksgiving or a birthday, he’d always been the only male besides Mr.Shoemaker. And while the old man could tell some good and funny stories of the past, it could become exhausting after a while. So she couldn’t blame John for being happy that Oliver was now in the group. Both men had started to become even closer over the weeks they were working out together. It warmed her heart that Oliver had found such a good friend in John, especially a friend he could finally trust, no matter what.

“Perfect. I’ll speak to Mrs.Shoemaker about dinner.” Felicity grinned, eager for another party in her neighborhood, especially now that Oliver had gotten to know most of the people living near her.

 

Armed with a long shopping list from Mrs.Shoemaker, Felicity made her way over to the grocery store two days later. The whole shopping trip required three tours to get all the bags of food into the Shoemaker’s house. It made her momentarily happy that she wasn’t the one having to cook for 5 people.

Throughout the day, Oliver and Felicity had helped Mrs.Shoemaker preparing dinner while John set up the table in the dining room. Working side by side with Oliver and Mrs.Shoemaker, who always kept an eagle eye on what the two were doing, felt more relaxing and domesticated than anything Felicity had ever done. For a moment, she had to think of her mother, wondering if Donna had yet another night shift to work while all the others partied around her. She made a mental note to call her later to at least wish her a happy new year.  
But it also made her think of Oliver’s family for a moment - or, at least the only family that really mattered to her. She wondered if his little sister had a nice place to stay or even friends she was spending the night with. It was hard for her to imagine she’d willingly spend any holiday with her parents.  
Thoughts of Thea also reinforced her plans to get in touch with the young Queen sibling soon. She had no idea how to do that yet, but she made sure to find a way first thing in the new year.

 

The Shoemakers seemed delighted to have the house filled with guests for the first time in a long while. Even Felicity was shooed out of the kitchen and forced to join her friends.  
After a delicious dinner, they all took a seat in the living room, a drink in hand, and listened to Mr.Shoemaker's funny stories from the past. Time seemed to fly past and when Felicity glanced at her watch, she realized she didn’t have much time left to try and call her mother. She excused herself and made a quick tour over to her place. Several unsuccessful attempts later, she decided to send her mother a text to wish her a happy new year. It was certainly more than she had done in the last years since she moved to Starling City but the recent things Oliver had revealed about his own family made her think of her mother in a different light. Of course they weren’t on any unfriendly terms at all, but she also had to admit that she hadn’t been particularly interested in the last year to talk to her mom. So sending her a text to wish her a happy new year was probably the best way to start remedying that.

Back at the Shoemaker’s place, they barely had time to grab a glass of champagne and make it to the front door when the first fireworks went up. Oliver was about to decline when Mrs.Shoemaker handed him an empty champagne flute, but Felicity beat him to it. With a smile she took two glasses from the plate, turned back around to Oliver and pulled a bottle out of her coat.  
“I bought us some very special champagne,” she started and when Oliver was about to remind her that he didn’t drank at all, she waved him off. “It’s Champomy. It’s basically just sparkling fruit juice.” she grinned and handed him the bottle so he could pop the cork.

Oliver couldn’t hold back the amused chuckle at her sweet gesture. The bottle was clearly designed for kids, with balloons and stick figures on a colorful label, but alone the fact that Felicity had thought of such a sweet gesture warmed his heart.  
So while John, the Shoemakers and several neighbors enjoyed their champagne, Oliver and Felicity sipped on their tooth-rotting sweet fruit juice, wrapped arms around each other and hugged and kissed into the new year.  
It was the best and most genuine party Oliver ever had.

 

  
When Felicity woke up with a groan and throbbing head the next morning, she wondered if she had misread the label and bought actual champagne. Oliver was still equally dead to the world next to her, only Lucky was already up and running around the room, clearly in need of a bathroom. Felicity threw on a robe and led the dog downstairs. With a yawn she watched the little dog running through the snow, picking up fireworks debris that had made its way into her yard here and there.  
_Just how late had it gotten last night?_  
She remembered staying with the Shoemakers until at least 1am and then heading over to John’s place. Her friend apparently had some news to share with them that would require a proper toast.  
The last thing she remembered was the glass of red wine in her hand, with Oliver sipping on the horrible champomy stuff, while John told them he was quitting his job as a personal bodyguard to start his own security company. After that news, the drinks flowed more easily and Felicity kind of lost sense of time.

 _Aspirin._ That was a stellar idea. Since Lucky was still occupied in the garden, she headed over to the kitchen, rummaged through her cabinets until she located the pill bottle and popped one of them. Just when she was about to order Lucky back inside so she could get back into bed with Oliver, the little dog appeared on the patio door.  
“Let’s get back into bed, shall we?”

Lucky seemed to agree with her, so together they made their way back upstairs. Oliver hadn’t moved when she climbed back under the sheets, so she grabbed his arm and wrapped herself in it. He groaned slightly and tightened his hold on her, but other than that, he didn’t stir.  
  


Two hours later she woke to the wonderful smell of pancakes and bacon. Her headache was gone and so were Oliver and Lucky. Coming downstairs, she saw him sitting at the dining table, his organizer in front of him while he made little notes and post its here and there. A glass of orange juice and two filled plates sat on front of them, along with her steaming hot mug of coffee.  
“I’m in heaven.” Felicity mused and Oliver’s head snapped around in surprise.

“How so?” he smiled at her, got up and walked over to wrap her in his arms.

“Because some hot angel is sitting at my dining table, the air smells of breakfast and I don’t have to go to work today.”

The hold on her waist tightened and he pulled her closer to him, crashing her chest into his.  
“Oh I know a lot of things to do instead of going to work today.” he murmured and leaned down to kiss her neck.

“I like the way your brain works.” she grinned back at him, eager to get back upstairs and rumple up her sheets a bit.  
But then Oliver loosened the hold on her and stepped back. She instantly missed his closeness. “But first, breakfast.” he announced and made her sit down at the table. “If the way I had to carry your singing butt upstairs last night was any indication, you were pretty buzzed.” he grinned. “And I know it’s been a while since I last had a drink, but I do remember that a good, greasy breakfast makes everything better within a heartbeat.”

“Oh, I already picked the scientific breakfast to cure my hangover when I let Lucky out. But thank you.” she spoke and grabbed her coffee mug but when Oliver’s confused frown met her, she giggled and motioned for the bottle of pills on her kitchen island.  
“I took an advil.” she clarified and Oliver chuckled.

“So what should we do on my last official vacation day?” she spoke after a few minutes of silence, save from Lucky traipsing over her hardwood floor.

Oliver thought about that for a moment.  
“Well I don’t have any jobs lined up for today, so maybe we could take Lucky for a long walk? If you’re up for it.” he suggested.

Suddenly, an idea sprang to her mind. With tentative steps towards him and a hesitant smile on her lips, she looked up at him.  
“Or we could go to the cemetery.”

She could feel him tense under her fingers, but thankfully, he didn’t deny her outright. Instead, he seemed to think about her idea for a moment.  
“I don’t want to risk running into my father.” he spoke with a low voice, his eyes cast outside into her backyard.

“But you want to see your daughter, yes?”  
Oliver nodded instantly.  
“Then we’ll go. You won’t be alone, Oliver. Not any longer. And when your father wants to threaten you, he has to go through me first.” she spoke with a firm voice, determination shining in her eyes.  
The image in his head almost made him smile. Felicity, that tiny, delicate blonde woman, putting herself in harm's way between him and his father. She didn’t even look intimidating, but maybe that was her biggest feat. People underestimated her. Lord knows even he did before he first officially met her. But there was so much more to Felicity than met the eye and he was glad that no one else got to see that, most of all his father.

Since the cemetery was in the other part of the city, Felicity drove them there. Her Mini Cooper was barely used lately, anyway. With Lucky in the backseat, Oliver lead the way. He tried to steel his features, but Felicity could feel how anxious he was. So was she, not that she’d show that or let him know. He didn’t have to worry more than he already did. And if his father really made an appearance, she would deal with that when the time came.  
  


Ariel’s grave was decorated with a beautiful gravestone. It reminded her of Oliver’s words, that he wanted the best gravestone money could buy for his daughter, no matter the cost. And he absolutely did. Delicate flowers and butterflies were engraved in the marble, along with one single sentence underneath her name - _‘Life is not forever. Love is.’_  
It almost brought her to tears.

Oliver had let go of her hand the moment they stepped up to the grave and started freeing the headstone from the piles of snow that had covered most of it. The more he digged, the more of Ariel’s grave actually appeared. Small stones on the ground forming a butterfly, candles here and there. She couldn’t see any flowers but considering the time of year that wasn’t really surprising.  
Felicity could only guess that Oliver’s hands must be freezing off, but she didn’t dare stop him or even interrupt him. Once he had made sure they weren’t being watched or followed, he had set his sole attention towards the grave, making it look as pretty as possible while she held Lucky in her arms and watched him silently.

For half an hour neither said a word. Oliver kept working on the grave until he was satisfied with how it looked. Felicity watched him in silence, always keeping a close eye on the cemetery gates left and right of them. Only very few people were coming to the cemetery that time, but since it was the first day of the new year, she couldn’t really blame anyone for wanting to stay holed up.  
When Oliver turned around and faced her with a sad smile, she took that as her cue to close the distance and walk over to him.  
“It’s a beautiful grave,” she spoke softly, wrapped her arms around his waist and turned to look over to the grave. “I’m sure Ariel would love it.”

“I’m trying to keep it in shape,” Oliver murmured into her hair and wrapped his arms around her. His fingers were cold as ice, even through her winter coat and sweater. “It’s the only thing I can do for her.”

She had no idea what to say to that, so she said nothing. Oliver was still too much in his zone to engage in a conversation, so instead she grabbed Lucky’s leash and took a step back.  
“Let’s get you warmed up, shall we?”

Oliver nodded, took her offered hand and followed her out of the cemetery. The heat blasting out of the vents of her car instantly warmed up his chilly bones. He had no idea where she was taking them since she clearly wasn’t heading home, but the moment she pulled onto the parking lot of a small coffee shop, it dawned on him.  
With a quick smile, she got out of the car and helped Lucky from the back seat. Oliver was a little slower to follow, his eyes scanning the entire area more than once. He’d been in this part of town years ago, and it certainly wasn’t an area his father and cohorts would frequent, but still he couldn’t shake the tension off his shoulders. That’s just what fours years in hiding did to a mind.  
As soon as they were seated in a small corner nook and Felicity went off to order them something to drink, his shoulders relaxed again. No one had noticed him when they walked inside and the few other patrons that were sitting around were more engrossed with themselves than looking around. It also dawned on him that this was the very first time he was going out with Felicity. Never before had they sat at a coffee shop or restaurant together, not even when she offered him a coffee all these months ago and he patiently waited outside the shop. The memory made him once again realize how much had changed for him in just that few months.

Felicity returned to the table, two steaming mugs of coffee in hand and a happy smile on her lips.  
“I rarely come here but I swear they make the best coffee in the whole city.” she announced and pushed one of the mugs over to him. He took it to warm his still frozen fingers for a moment.

“It’s the first time I’m inside of a coffee shop in almost 3 years,” he confessed and sipped his coffee. She was right, it tasted fantastic.

For a long time, Felicity didn’t say anything to him. She just kept watching him over the rim of her coffee, her eyes focused intently on him. If he hadn’t known her, her stares would’ve made him uncomfortable, but not Felicity.  
“You amaze me, you know?” she spoke after a while, a faint smile on her lips when she placed the mug back on the table.

“Me? How?”

She cast a quick glance around the coffee shop, making sure no one sat close enough for listening in to their conversation.  
“Every day for over three years you were out there somewhere, fighting to survive on the streets. I can’t even imagine how dangerous and cruel it might be, and still you’ve managed to keep the will of going on, of not giving up. I think that’s actually pretty impressive and I’m not sure how many people could do that without giving up at some point. I’ve seen the dedication in which you’ve tended to Ariel’s grave, I’ve seen the way you get up for work every morning without complaint. Not many people do that when they have a warm bed every night and no worries about surviving until the next week. And yet you did all that and still sit here with a smile on your lips. That’s pretty impressive to me.” she smiled and slightly shrugged one shoulder.

Oliver seemed stunned by her words and was silent for a long time. Felicity wasn’t sure if he even planned to answer at all, when she suddenly heard his silent, raspy voice.  
“I wanted to give up one time.”

“What happened?” she asked softly.

“That day Old Louie saved me.”  
After another look around the coffee shop to make sure no one was watching or eavesdropping on them, Oliver took a sip of his coffee, his eyes cast into the steaming mug, remembering the day the old man saved his life.  
“I just wanted to give up. I was ready to just die then and there. It would’ve reunited me with my daughter and since I had lost everything else by then, dying was fine by me.” He laughed once, but Felicity could hear how hollow it was. “It took an old homeless man to make me realize I couldn’t honor my dead daughter by dying myself, no matter how shitty my life might be. I’d say I’m not that amazing.”

“Oh I’m disagreeing with you on that one,” she quickly replied. “Especially after what you just told me. It takes a lot of strength to overcome such a situation, to get back up. That makes you even more amazing in my book, even though you might not see it yourself.”

 

His mood was a lot lighter when they made their way back home. Felicity had no idea if it was the visit of his daughter’s grave or her encouraging words, but she was glad Oliver’s mood had lifted considerably.

When they lay in bed that night, both covered in sweat and out of breath, Oliver turned his head towards Felicity.  
“We should do that again.”

“Now?” she asked, her eyes wide with surprise. “Don’t you need like... 15 minutes to recuperate or something?”

Oliver chuckled softly. “While I do love the idea, I was talking about having coffee. Or going out in general.”

A wide smile covered her lips at his words. Oliver wanting to go out with her was a big step for him.  
“Yeah,” she replied with a soft voice. “I would love that, too.”

 

The following morning was a new one for both Felicity and Oliver. While it had always been one of them having to leave for work, they now both headed out at the same time. Part of her was happy to get back to work, because it meant not having to sneak around Oliver any longer to investigate his past and the people around him, but the other part just wanted to snuggle up with him on the couch all day and not having to go out at all. But of course they couldn’t do that.

So they both headed out together after ruffling Lucky’s ears. The dog seemed a little confused at first, but then busied himself with the chewy treat Oliver had sneaked him.  
“See you after work?” Felicity smiled and lingered on his lips for another kiss before having to part ways at the subway station.

Oliver nodded and wrapped his arms around her.  
“I’ll cook. Don’t let them keep you too long, it’s your first day back, after all.”

 

As soon as Felicity arrived at the office, she made her quick stops to greet everyone and dodge another of Ray’s attempts at having lunch with her later, before heading straight to her office. There wasn’t any work piled up on her desk yet and Katie was still absent from the front desk, too, which gave her enough time to do some private research.

It took her only a few minutes to find out that Thea Queen was attending Hudson University in Central City and get access to her private file. Scribbling down the younger Queen’s private email address and phone number, Felicity quickly closed the files when Katie strolled up to her desk, blabbering about the New Year’s party and how much fun it’ll be. Felicity tried to find a way to blow off her assistant so she could form an idea how to get in touch with Oliver’s sister, but it was no use. Katie practically hovered over her, asking a ton of questions about her vacation and wanting to know what she’ll be wearing for the party.  
Thankfully it was Ray who came to the rescue in the end, forcing Katie away from her desk.  
“I’m taking my lunch break!” Felicity yelled after her assistant, gripped the slip of paper with Thea’s information on it and made her way out of the building. If she was going to contact Thea, she sure as hell needed to do it somewhere a little more private.

 

Coming home later that day to the familiar smell of delicious food wafting through the house gave her a sense of peace, settling down her nerves a bit. It wasn’t that she was worried what Oliver might think of her actions, she was more nervous if she could trust Thea. She hadn’t been able to reach the younger Queen directly, but after two emails, the women had switched to sending text messages. Unsurprisingly, it took Thea a good time to warm up to the stranger texting her, but a few messages back and forth between the women, the suspicion seemed to wane a bit. After agreeing to call and talk the following morning when Thea didn’t have classes, Felicity decided to hold off on telling Oliver until she at least had spoken with his sister directly. Hiding this from him though was something she hated having to do.

“Have you made a decision yet about coming to the party with me?” Felicity casually asked between sips of wine. Somehow Oliver had managed to dish up a delicious lasagna and even stopped by the grocery store to stock up on food and wine. He seemed so relaxed at the table that she couldn’t help but bring up the topic again. She didn’t have much time left to RSVP, after all.

His eyes went down onto his plate for a moment. She could see he was still torn over that, but after the cemetery visit and stop at the coffee shop, she really hoped his confidence had grown a bit, especially after he told her he wanted to go out with her more often. But maybe being back in the spotlight like that was still too much for him.

Not wanting to torture him into answering, she smiled and squeezed his hand.  
“Just let me know until tomorrow, alright? If my RSVP comes in late, people will start asking questions I have no interest to answer.” she rolled her eyes with a small smile.

 

The following morning, Oliver was already up when Felicity dragged herself out of bed and under the shower. That was nothing new. What was new was his slumped shoulders and deep frown sitting at the dining table. He looked up and smiled at her when she came downstairs, but Felicity could see that it was forced and tired.  
Helping herself to a mug of coffee, she sat down next to him, willing him to start telling what was wrong.  
“Felicity, I... I don’t think I can come with you to the party.”

Her smile dropped, even though she almost expected to hear something like that.

“And you have to believe me that it hasn’t anything to do with you. I would love to be at your side wherever you go, but all this is still too new for me. I just got a job, I’m living halfway free under my father’s thumb. I’m too scared to risk it all again so soon, even if that might be selfish of me.”

With a sad smile, Felicity took his hand and squeezed it.  
“You’re wrong, you know?”  
He looked up at her with a small frown, so she went to explain further.  
“You’re not living free from your father’s thumb. If you did, accompanying me to the party would be a no-brainer for you. But I understand, Oliver. That doesn’t mean I’m happy about it, but I understand.” she smiled again and Oliver could see that she really meant it.  
“Besides, I’ve been going alone to that party for the last 3 years. Showing up with some eye-candy on a stick would only confuse people.” she laughed softly, managing to even pull a small chuckle out of Oliver.

So with a sigh, she tucked the invitation into her purse, stole a quick kiss from Oliver, who didn’t have to leave work until noon, and headed out to work. At least the thought of calling Thea later could cheer her up a bit.

 

Ray was his usual cheery self when she stepped into the office 30 minutes later. The moment he saw her handing her RSVP to Katie, he quickly snatched it from her hands and looked inside.  
“You’re coming alone?” His eyes lighted up when he saw she hadn’t added a plus one on her invitation. “So my chances at getting to dance with you just increased.” he grinned proudly.

“Not likely, Ray,” Felicity sighed and stepped away from Katie’s desk to head straight to her own office. “And besides, I don’t dance and you know that.” she threw over her shoulder before closing the door behind her. She so wasn’t in the mood for her boss’s antics that morning and him rubbing salt into the wound that she was coming alone just added to that.

 

Her phone started ringing just when she finished a work sheet for Star Labs. At first she was a little confused as to who might be calling her on her private mobile. Only very few people actually had that number. But then she remembered the call she had set up with Thea and quickly digged through her purse.  
“Hello?”

“Is this Felicity?” the hesitant, feminine voice on the other side of the line answered. It felt so strange to hear Thea’s voice for the the first time, after hearing so many stories about the young woman from Oliver and finding a ton of pictures of her during her research.  
“Hello?”

“Yeah, yeah that’s me. Sorry, I zoned out for a second.” she giggled nervously.

“So you know my brother?”

The tone in the other woman’s voice was clearly hesitant, not that Felicity could blame her. Thea had barely spoken about any details the day before and agreed to do that on the phone the following day. Felicity quickly got up and went to lock the door to her office, making sure she wouldn’t be interrupted.  
“Yeah, I know him. For a few months now, actually. Which is why I reached out to you.”

“How so?”  
Thea’s voice suddenly sounded a lot more hopeful.

“Oliver talks a lot about you. He misses you, and if you’re only half the woman he described to me, then I’m pretty sure you miss him, too.”

Silence on the other end of the line, but Felicity could hear the heavy breathing so she knew Thea was still with her.  
“I wanted to reach out to you and see if you’d like to meet.”

Another long pause without a word from the younger Queen. Felicity started to become nervous. This had been a lot easier just a day ago over text messages. Thea seemed way more relaxed and a whole lot more talkative then just now.  
“I’m not so sure he’d want to see me.” her frail voice whispered into the phone, followed by a small sniffle.

Felicity sat upright in her chair at Thea’s words. surprised to hear her so uncertain. She would've expected a whole different reactions, but not uncertainty.  
“How could you think that?”

“I’m not aware how much you know, so I’m not going into details,” Thea replied after another sniffle. Felicity wanted to tell her she knew everything about what had happened, but she kept her mouth shut and admired Thea’s loyalty to her brother instead. “But if he would have wanted to speak to me, I’m sure he could have done that a hell of a lot sooner.”

“That’s why I think you two should meet. Because you couldn’t be more wrong, Thea, and there's a ton of things you two should talk about.”

She had no idea if it was the confidence in Felicity’s voice that did it, or if it was the mere fact that she missed her brother so much to throw all caution to the wind and agree to meet up.  
“I’m not in Starling City right now,” Thea began but Felicity cut her off.

“I know. We could come to Central City instead? Visit you at campus, maybe?”

It was exactly what Felicity had planned. Meeting in Central City meant Oliver wouldn’t have to worry about running into a familiar face, or even his father. She would gladly make the 1 hour drive with him if he could reunite with that one family member.

So they agreed to meet up in Central City the following day. Thea had just one early morning class and Felicity had so little work on her desk that she could afford to sneak out after lunch. Now she only needed to convince Oliver to join her on a mysterious trip to Central City.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey gang! :)  
> I'm still so super hyped after the last episode of Arrow that I just had to post the new chapter an hour earlier!  
> To all the people having requested more of Thea in this story, this one is for you! :)

“For the third time, I’m not telling you where we’re going, Oliver.” Felicity laughed.  
He was behaving like a little boy on his way to Disneyland. The moment she managed to convince him to spend the day with her in Central City because she had to drop off some last minute work there - something that she was incredibly thankful for, because it prevented her from having to lie to Oliver to get him to Central City - he had been filled with excitement. She had no idea if it was the fact that he actually got to leave the city for a while, or because they could spend a whole afternoon together, acting like a real couple without Oliver constantly looking over his shoulder, searching for a threat.  
Either way, she was happy his mood was so relaxed and uplifting. It would definitely help for the secret meet up she had planned for later in the day.

It had been hard, but even when they arrived at Star Labs to drop off the papers, Felicity still hadn’t told him a peep about his sister and that he was just about to see her again.  
His cheerful, positive mood also helped her not thinking too hard about the date. She could only hope that things would go fine but even if they didn’t, she could just grab Oliver and head back to Starling City. No harm done.  
Only that it would harm Oliver in a terrible way. Especially if his sister turned out to be a different person than both he and Felicity pegged her for.  
And suddenly, she wasn’t so sure if bringing him together with his sister was such a stellar idea.

Oliver picked up on her internal ramble and looked over at her.  
“Everything alright? You look tense.”

“Yeah, yeah.” she smiled at him before focusing back on the road again. “Just wondering if I turned off the stove.”  
_Really? That’s the best lie you come up with?_

Oliver quirked an eyebrow at that.  
“And the truth?”

“I’m just hoping we’ll have a nice day is all.”  
_Oh god, you’re making it worse._

Oliver frowned at her for a moment, but since her head was back in the present, he didn’t comment on it again.  
After they drove up to Star Labs and dropped off the papers, Felicity discreetly checked her phone for the time and to fire a quick text to Thea.  
“I really need a coffee after that long drive.”

She was terribly bad at acting, but much to her surprise, Oliver didn’t pick up on it. He seemed to agree, so she steered them through the city and right onto campus. Oliver seemed confused at her choice of venue but got out of the car and followed her.  
“A friend of mine used to work for that coffee shop on campus. It’s small, but they make terribly good coffee. And you know how I feel about coffee.”

He leaned down next to her while they walked along the street.  
“Do you have these secret insider tips of coffee shops for every city?”

Felicity couldn’t help but chuckle despite her nervousness. If things went according to plan, Thea would be waiting for them inside that coffee shop. She hadn’t texted back, but the woman had already agreed on a time. Now Felicity hoped the younger Queen wouldn’t flake out on them or worse - set them up. But she had never been a bad judge of character before and the way Oliver had described his sister and the way Thea had appeared to her over text and phone messages gave her the confidence that they wouldn’t be walking into a trap.

 

The moment she opened the door to let Oliver and Lucky inside, he stopped dead in his tracks, not even all the way inside the small shop.  
All the air left Oliver’s lungs.  
“Thea?”

She looked older than in the pictures Felicity had found of her online, more mature. When she stormed through the small coffee shop though, she was nothing but Oliver’s little sister.  
“Ollie!” she cried and jumped into his arms.

He seemed so stunned to see her, so overwhelmed, that he let go of Lucky’s leash to wrap his arms around the woman hugging him so fiercely. When his head turned slightly into Felicity’s direction, she could see tears in his eyes. The moment he silently mouthed _‘thank you’_ towards her, her own eyes teared up as well.

They stood like that for a long time, not in the least bothered by the people having to shuffle around them. Felicity had taken Lucky into her arms and given them the space. She sat down at the small booth Thea had occupied earlier and watched them from a distance.

When they finally let go of each other and Oliver motioned for them to join her at the table, she became nervous again, though.  
“So you must be Felicity.” Thea smiled and took a seat next to Oliver. She could see it in the eyes of the younger Queen that the woman was still trying to figure out who was sitting opposite of her but that was fine by Felicity. Her focus quickly fell back on Oliver though.

“Where have you been, Ollie? Why did you never contact me?”The sadness and hurt was evident in the young woman’s voice. It made Felicity feel like an intruder.

“I’m gonna take Lucky for a walk, give you some space.” she smiled and got up from the table. Lucky immediately jumped from the couch and appeared by her side. Oliver looked alarmed for a moment, as if he was scared she wouldn’t come back.  
“I’ll just do a quick round.” she told him and patted the pocket of her coat where her phone sat, signaling him she was just a call away. It instantly removed the tension from his shoulders.

Thea and Oliver were both silent until the front door closed behind Felicity, leaving them alone for the first time in over 3 years.  
“She seems nice.” Thea began, pulling a small smile from Oliver’s lips.

“She’s the best.”  
Looking up, he looked his sister straight in the eye for the first time.  
“Speedy, I... I’m sorry. I know this is a lame thing to say after what I’ve done to you but please trust me when I say I really mean it. Not a day went by when I didn’t think of you.”

“Then why did you never call?” Thea almost snapped back, tears pooling in her eyes. “Why did you never contact me to let me know you’re okay? To let me know you’re even still alive? For weeks I have tried to find you, fought with mom and dad to tell me what the hell was going on but no one said a word to me. Do you know how I felt, Ollie?” The first tear found its way down her cheek, but she ignored it. Hurt and anger was evaporating off her and Oliver felt every single bit of it.  
“Apparently I am the only one not in the loop as to what exactly happened all these years ago. I tried every damn trick in the book to find out, but even threatening dad to leave the family if they didn’t tell me didn’t help. It had taken me a year, a god-damn year, Ollie, to accept defeat and give up.”

He felt like the worst person in the world. All the things he thought he’d prevent his sister from by going away happened anyway. Only then he wasn’t there to protect her, or offer her his strong shoulder the same way she had done after Ariel’s death.

“You have no idea how things were at home after you went away. The things dad said about you; the media stuck on our heels for weeks. Laurel robbing me of my last nerve every time she showed up and mom simply sat back and accepted everything that happened without another word. I was so alone, Ollie. Alone and scared not knowing what had happened to my brother.”

Another tear fell down her cheek and this time Oliver couldn’t stand it any longer. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a hug.  
“I know sorry doesn’t cut it for what I’ve put you through, speedy. I just never wanted to see you hurt. That’s part of the reason why I left.”

Thea looked up at him at that and wiped her cheek with the back of her hand.  
“Dad had said and done some terrible things to me, speedy, and I didn’t want to drag you into that and see you hurt the same way. Not after what happened to Ariel.”

“I wouldn’t have let him drag me. You know me, Ollie.”

“I do.” he smiled and nodded once. “And because I do I had to keep you as far away as possible from what was going on between Robert and me. Had I told you I ran out of money after paying for Ariel’s gravestone, you would’ve given me money. Had I told you I lost the apartment I was staying in because I couldn’t afford it any longer, you would’ve taken care of that as well. Because that’s who you are. It’s what makes you, you. But I couldn’t risk you getting in harm’s way if dad had found out you were helping me.”

Thea nodded once, her eyes cast into her lap. For a long moment, she didn’t say a thing but then her soft voice broke the silence between them.  
“I visit her grave every once in a while. Mostly when I get back home and things get a little too intense with dad.” she spoke softly, a small smile playing on her lips. “Someone is taking care of the grave it seems. I know it sure as hell ain’t mom or dad, so I asked the cemetery gardener if he knew. He couldn’t tell me though.”

“I try and keep it in shape.”  
When Thea’s head snapped up to look at him, he could see the confusion in her eyes.  
“Once a month I go there and take care of the grave, clean it up as good as possible.”

“So you’ve never been away from Starling City?”

He shook his head.  
“You know I couldn’t leave her. And besides, where should I have gone?” he laughed a hollow laugh and shook his head.

“The media fabricated some stories about you having run off to Mexico. For a while I thought you were staying with Tommy.”

Another laugh left him. “Yeah, no. Tommy and I weren’t exactly on the best terms even before the engagement with Laurel ended.”

“Yeah, I gathered as much when Tommy showed up in Starling City one day and I caught him with Laurel at Verdant. It took me a lot of willpower not to punch them both in the face when I heard them speaking about you.”

Even the mention of his friend’s name with Laurel in once sentence made him angry. There was so much Laurel had destroyed in his life - now it seemed she was after his friendship with his former best friend, too.  
“Is Tommy back in Starling City for good?”

“Not from what I’ve heard. It seems he comes home every few months, but of course he always makes sure to cozy up with princess Lance. One time I thought about simply walking up to Merlyn’s house and tell him exactly what Laurel had done to Ariel. But if the press would have caught wind of that they would have gone mad with it, and I had no idea how Tommy stood to the whole thing, so I had to keep my mouth shut.” she grumbled.

Feisty Thea. She had always been that firecracker, that defiant young woman who fought for what was right.  
“I’m glad you didn’t, speedy. It wouldn’t have made a difference besides opening a can of worms no one would be willing to deal with.”

She nodded slowly, knowing full well what Oliver was talking about. After months of paparazzi and reporters chasing the family she was glad when they finally seemed to give up and gave them a chance to breathe again.  
“So where have you been in the last 3 years? Have you been with Felicity all the time?”

Oliver didn’t miss the trace of hurt in her voice. She probably wondered if he’d been fine and dandy all this time and simply saw no reason to contact her until now. She couldn’t be any more wrong, though.  
Swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat, he decided to go for the honest answer.  
“I’ve been homeless most of the time.”

A hand flew up to her mouth in shock, trying to hold back the sob that left her at his words.  
“No,” she whispered, fresh tears gathering in her eyes.

He had to avert his eyes at the look of utter shock on her face. It just pained him to see his baby sister in so much hurt because of him.

“But... where did you sleep? Why didn’t you take a job and rent a place, like everyone else? Dad wouldn’t have known and we could have stayed in touch!”

Thea clearly had no idea of all the things his father had done, all the lengths he had gone to make his own son’s life a living hell. So he told her. The short version of what had happened, at least. He told her about the jobs his father had ruined for him, and how he struggled along with odd day jobs before meeting Felicity a few months ago.  
Just when he said her name, the shop doors opened and the woman in question walked in. As soon as she saw Oliver still in deep conversation with his sister though, she made a turn and headed straight for the counter to order something to drink and give them a moment longer without interrupting them.

Armed with 3 large coffees and Lucky on his leash, she slowly approached the table where Thea and Oliver sat. Oliver smiled up at her, even though she could see that he looked exhausted. Thea still seemed a little apprehensive, but when she took a seat opposite of them and slid a coffee over to each, a small smile graced her lips.  
“Ollie was just talking about you,” Thea began and started playing with the lid of her cup. “How you helped him when he was sick.”

“Everyone would have done that.” Felicity waved her off, casting a quick glance over to Oliver who was still smiling at her.

“No, not everyone. And after what my brother told me about you, I have to say I’m sorry for not being friendlier earlier. And thank you, for bringing me my brother back.”

In that moment, Felicity wanted nothing more than to jump over the table and hug the young woman to death. She had to take a deep breath to get her emotions back in check.  
“It was the least I can do. For both of you. For weeks I’ve seen how sad Oliver was to not have you in his life any longer, and after what he told me about you, I figured you must feel the same. Getting in touch with you was practically a no-brainer.” she smiled and squeezed Oliver’s hand that reached over the table.

Felicity made sure to stay in the background for the remainder of the conversation. This wasn’t about her - even though she listened carefully about everything Thea said about her family or her current life.

 

In the end, it was Thea’s phone ringing that put an end to their date.  
“I need to go.” she spoke with a sad frown.

Everyone slid out of the booth and left the coffee shop. Even Felicity and Thea hugged briefly, after she had tackled her brother once again for a strong hug. Then she bent down to pet Lucky.  
“Your dog is cute.” she spoke to Felicity, who smiled and looked over at Oliver for a second.

“He’s Oliver’s.”

Thea’s surprised look met Oliver’s, who only smiled and nodded once.  
“I’m going to tell you the story about that another time.”

After exchanging numbers Oliver having to promise to call at least once a day, Thea hugged him one more time before reluctantly pulling away.  
Oliver grabbed her shoulders, his face suddenly tense and stern.  
“Thea, please promise me you won’t tell dad about this. He can never know we’ve met today. It could hurt both you and Felicity. And I can’t let that happen.” he almost begged, but Thea waved him off with a smile.

“We’re not exactly talking anyway, so no worries there. They have kept me in the dark for so long, I think it’s only fair to finally repay that.” she grinned with a small wink.

There it was again, that fierceness that Oliver had spoken about so often when talking about his little sister. Felicity could see it in person now plain as day. It made her like Thea Queen a whole lot more all of a sudden.

Oliver watched his sister walk away until she was out of sight before he let Felicity take his hand and lead him to the car. For a long time no one spoke and Felicity didn’t dare turn on the radio to break the silence between them. Instead, she just silently drove them back home and left Oliver to his thoughts.

 

It was already dark when they left Central City. They were just out on the freeway when Oliver suddenly looked over at her, grabbed one of her hands off the steering wheel and took it between his warm palms.

“I love you.”

It was spoken so softly, with so much love in his voice, Felicity inhaled sharply and had a hard time keeping the car in the lane. When suddenly a sign and an exit ramp to a gas station appeared, she turned right and drove the car to the parking lot, slowly rolling to a stop.

Wide eyes looked over at him. Oliver still had their hands clasped in his lap, a small shy smile tugging on his lips.  
“Oliver, you don’t -”

“I do. I do for a while now. And what you did for me today, Felicity... it made me realize I needed to tell you. I love you.”

The moment the words seemed to sink in, she leaned over the center console and pulled him towards her for a kiss. With the seatbelt restricting her a bit, she couldn’t wrap herself around him the way she wanted to, but the soft feel of his lips on hers seemed enough for a moment.

“I love you, too.” she pulled back and smiled at him, the first relaxed smile ever since they arrived in Central City to meet his sister. To see and hear he wasn’t mad with her that she’d gone behind his back and arranged a meeting with his sister lifted an incredible weight off her shoulders.

The loud grumble of Oliver’s stomach broke the spell between them.  
“The music of my people,” she laughed and even Oliver chuckled softly. “Let’s go find a diner. I’m starving, too.”

 

As promised, Thea texted Oliver that night with a short message before they went to bed. The moment Felicity heard the ping of his phone and saw the broad smile appearing on his lips, she knew who must have texted him. It warmed her heart that Oliver finally found back in touch with someone from his past. Not that she minded sharing her friends with him, but seeing him reunite with the small family that he had left filled her with pride.

Their next morning started with with a dampened mood, though.  
Even though Felicity already knew Oliver wouldn’t join her at tonight’s party, having to get ready alone dampened her mood considerably. Not that she had always been overly excited for these parties, but knowing that she had to go alone this time, despite the small sliver of hope that Oliver might have joined her, really took away the last excitement she could’ve had at getting ready.  
Even her beautiful dress couldn’t lift her spirits. And the damn thing had cost a pretty penny.

With Oliver still gone for work, she took Lucky for a long walk, threw two pizzas in the oven and then took her time showering and getting ready. By the time she came downstairs, dressed in her bathrobe and her hair wrapped in a towel, Oliver was already cutting the pizzas and had set the table.

“When do you leave?”  
Even though he tried to make it sound casual, Felicity could see that he was anything but.

“The cab will pick me up at 7. I’m going to meet Katie and we’re going to head over together. We’ve done it like that every year.” she shrugged slightly, her own voice sounding bored even to her own ears. If these parties weren’t obligatory and if it weren’t for Katie being her personal bumper each year, Felicity wouldn’t even bother to dress up and go.

 

A weird tension hang over them when Felicity got up from the couch to get ready. Oliver had smiled at her and kissed her, but she could feel that he wasn’t comfortable or relaxed. Even Lucky seemed to pick up on the tension and followed Felicity upstairs to sleep on her rug while she got ready.

It was just minutes before the cab was scheduled to arrive when she emerged back downstairs, her heels and purse in hand. Oliver’s eyes went wide the moment he spotted her. With three quick strides he was in front of her, taking in the gorgeous deep red floor length bandage gown she was wearing.  
“You look absolutely beautiful.”  
Her hair was swept in a elegant half updo, falling in soft curls over one shoulder. Aside from some glittery earrings and a bright red lipstick that matched the dress, she had kept her makeup and accessories very minimal. Still she looked stunningly beautiful.

With a shy smile, she grabbed his shoulder to stabilize herself and put on her sparkly high heels.  
“Felicity, I -” Oliver began, but just then a car horn outside interrupted him.

“That’s me.” She gave him a small smile and placed a soft kiss on his lips, leaving a faint smudge of lipstick on his lips.  
“I should be back before midnight.”

He was about to stop her, say anything to her, but before he could find any coherent thing to say, she was out the door already. There wasn’t anything he could do other than standing frozen out the window and watching her leave.

 

The party was already in full swing by the time Felicity and Katie arrived. After her usual rounds of greetings other guests, Felicity took a moment to breathe at an unoccupied table. She was on her third glass of champagne, barely an hour at the party but ready to leave already. Ray had been his usual flirty self and only gave her time to breathe whenever someone else demanded his attention. Not even Katie seemed to be able to distract her.  
Wherever she saw a couple talking, laughing and dancing her thoughts went to Oliver and how she missed him by her side. Never before had she felt like that at a party, but now she wanted to go home more than ever.

Just when she was about to call it a night and just screw it and go home, a commotion from the other side of the room drew her attention. She turned around to see what was going on, when suddenly, Katie came over with slow steps, a small, knowing smile playing on her lips. When she stepped aside to make room and reveal who was standing behind her, Felicity’s eyes went wide in surprise.

Slowly getting up from where she was sitting, she crossed the distance with slow steps to where Katie was standing.  
“You are here.” she whispered and looked up at him, completely mesmerized by the man standing in front of her. He looked so handsome in his tux, making his blue eyes pop even more.

“There’s nowhere else I should be.” he whispered back with a smile.  
Everything around them seemed a million miles away. She completely forgot standing in the middle of a large ballroom and for a moment, Oliver forgot the number of people who might recognize him. There was only Felicity, and a dance floor, and soft music playing in the background.  
“Do you want to dance?”

“I don’t dance.” she whispered back.

“Neither do I.” he grinned, took her hand and led her out to the half empty dance floor.

She didn’t see Ray looking over at them from the bar, neither did she see Katie snapping a picture of them. All she could focus on were Oliver’s captivating blue eyes, focused solely on her.

After slow dancing for two songs, without saying a word to each other, Felicity leaned her head on Oliver’s chest and let him sway her over the dance floor.  
“What made you change your mind?”

Her voice was whisper-soft over the music, but Oliver heard it clear as day.  
“Your words. After you left, I thought about what you said about me still living under my father’s thumb. And while watching you leave alone in the cab, I realized how much my father still held all these invisible reins over my life. So much so, that I didn’t even dare accompanying my girlfriend to an important work party. I vowed to never let my father do you any harm, but when I let you leave alone, seeing the hurt in your eyes before you got into the cab, my father was unknowingly hurting you by making me cower from him once again. And I won’t let that happen any longer.”

Felicity didn’t reply to that, but he could feel her smile against his chest.

They danced like that for a little while longer, not in the least bothered by the other couples or people staring at them. When her feet started to ache, Oliver suggested they sit down for a bit and have a drink.  
He waited patiently behind her while she ordered them both something to drink, his hand firmly clasped in hers. As soon as they had found themselves a free table, Oliver wrapped her in a tight hug.  
“I’m sorry for letting you leave alone. That was a shitty thing of me to do.” he whispered into her neck.

“You’re here now, that’s all that matters.” she replied with a warm smile.

He was once again floored by the unwavering support he was getting from her, even when he sent her off to the party alone at first.  
After stealing a feather-light kiss from her, Oliver looked down into her bright blue eyes.  
“You make me feel like everything I’ve been through, the good and the bad, wasn’t for nothing.”

She was about to say something in reply when Katie suddenly stopped by their table, halting the conversation between them.  
“I so hate you right now,” Katie mumbled and put her champagne flute down on the table with a loud sigh. “While you were schmoozing away with Mr.Handsome right here, Ray had been pestering me about your sudden companion, Poots had pinched my butt - twice - and Richards tried to make me quit my job and start working as his personal assistant.” she sighed loudly and gulped down the remainder of her champagne.

Oliver still wasn’t sure how to feel around Felicity’s colleagues, but since Katie seemed to be a very laid back woman that even helped him find Felicity when he arrived at the party, he willed himself to relax and just listen in to the women talking.  
It didn’t take long though until their group started to grow. Oliver instinctively felt the urge to pull Felicity to her side when a man dressed in a fitted tux made his way over to them. He vaguely recognized him, or at least he thought so. The way he looked from Felicity to Oliver though pulled all of his protective instincts out of him.

He’d just plastered her onto his side when the man stopped by and smiled down at Felicity.  
“Didn’t you say you weren’t bringing a plus one?”

Felicity stopped her conversation with Katie and rolled her eyes at the other man.  
“Really, Ray? Are you going to give me a hard time now because of that? I hardly think we’re going to run out of oysters because of that.” she huffed a laugh and turned her attention to Oliver.  
“Oliver, this is Ray, my boss. Ray, this is Oliver, my boyfriend.”

"Boyfriend?" Ray smiled a polite but obviously fake smile at Oliver and held out his hand.  
“Nice to meet you. I need to steal Felicity for a moment. It’s work related. You don’t mind?”

Even though it worded like a question, Oliver could hear it clearly wasn’t meant as one. With his hand firmly wrapped around Felicity’s wrist, Ray was about to pull her away from him when Oliver stopped her, spun her around and kissed her. He could’ve made it a small peck on the lips, but since Ray was glaring daggers at them, completely oblivious to Felicity, Oliver decided to put on a little show and mark his territory. She clearly didn’t mind though, if the way she was responding to him was any indication.  
“Don’t be a stranger.” he whispered onto her lips before letting go and watching her leave with her boss. Her boss who was a whole too much touchy-feely with the backside of her dress for Oliver’s liking.

“Don’t worry,” Katie suddenly spoke up from beside him. “Ray has been trying to get her to go out with him for 2 years now. She always puts him in his place.”

“Oh I’m not worried.”  
_Yes you are, you terrible liar._

Katie smiled knowingly at him while he forced himself not to stare at Felicity and her boss a few feet away on the other side of the room. Ray was obviously showing her around like a prize pony, but he wasn’t about to step in and embarrass her. This had been her job for years, so she knew very well how her boss operated. And as long he didn’t get the feeling of her being uncomfortable, he held himself back and just watched from a distance.  
What also surprised him that no one had seemed to notice him yet. Coming to the party he’d braced himself for the onslaught of questions that might rain down on him, but after almost one hour at the event no one had approached him yet or even looked at him weird.

When Felicity looked over and sent Oliver a quick smile before turning her attention back to the conversation going on around her, Katie leaned in towards him again.  
“You know, I’ve never seen her smile like that at one of these parties. Ever. Please never let her go to one of our company events alone again.”  
Katie’s words made him chuckle softly. The woman sure was a ball of energy but apparently just as friendly. And he was incredibly thankful that she was staying by his side while Felicity was gone. He didn’t want to appear clingy, but since Felicity and Katie were essentially the only people he knew at that party, he was glad at least one of them stayed by his side.

 

Oliver made polite conversation with Katie until Felicity returned. He even learned that Katie apparently met Lucky already when Felicity brought him to work one morning. When Felicity came back though, his sole attention fell back on the one woman in his heart though.  
“I’m so ready to get out of here.” she sighed and wrapped herself around Oliver. “If Harrison Wells asks me one more time to move to Central City I swear I’m going to lose it.”

“Serves you right,” Katie chuckled. “Up until an hour ago I was the sole receiver of their poaching.”

“You ready to go?” Felicity whispered up at him after stealing a quick kiss.

“Ready when you are.”

“Are you really going to leave me alone already?” Katie whined.

With a small laugh, Felicity wrapped her assistant in a tight hug.  
“Lunch is on me tomorrow.”

And with that, she grabbed Oliver’s hand and got the hell away from that party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm suuuuper excited about the next chapter. SO pumped to post it!  
> See you next week, same time, same place! :)


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey gang! :)  
> I'm making this suuuper short since I'm about to leave for a friend's wedding.
> 
> I really hope you'll enjoy this chapter! It's been really, REALLY fun to write! :)

After just a two minute wait in front of Palmer Tech they got into the cab and Oliver was about to give the driver the address of their home when Felicity’s stomach made a loud grumbling sound. With a hearty laugh she gave the driver instructions to drive them to the nearest Big Belly Burger.

They were by far completely overdressed for the occasion and caught more than a few stares when they sat down at a booth with trays full of greasy fries and burgers but neither Oliver nor Felicity cared. With her dress hiked up to ker knees and Oliver’s tuxedo jacket shrugged off, they dove into their meals.  
“I hate seafood. Hate it with every fibre of my being.” Felicity told him between hearty bites of her burger. “And every year Ray tries to make me vomit all over the place when he shoves trays of oysters and other disgusting things under my nose.” The adorable way she wrinkled her nose while she spoke made him laugh.

“I’m not really fond of oysters, either.”

They polished off their meals and took a cab home. Felicity would have loved to take a walk with him but since neither her heels nor her thin wrap was appropriate for the current weather conditions, they had to postpone that idea.

 

The following morning Katie was on her before Felicity even had put her purse under her desk.  
“You SO owe me more than just a measly lunch date, missus.” she spoke and hurried along behind Felicity into her office. When Katie even shut the door behind her, she got a small idea that whatever Katie had to say to her was more serious than just some morning babble.  
“The minute you guys left, Ray had been on me. He asked a ton of questions, wanted to know if I knew Oliver and if you guys were serious. I told him off as good as I could, but you know Ray. He’s probably going to bother you directly, too, at some point… and here he comes.”  
Katie mumbled just when Ray appeared through the glass doors, a bright smile on his lips, heading straight for Felicity’s closed office door.

“I haven’t even had coffee yet.” Felicity complained with a sigh and plopped down behind her desk. The moment Ray barged into her office, Katie took that as her cue to leave.

“Good morning, you party pooper!” Ray grinned and confidently sat down in front of her desk.

Ignoring his comment on her leaving the party early, she plastered a smile on her face.  
“How can I help you, Ray?”

“I was surprised seeing you with company last night? Didn’t you say you weren’t bringing a plus one?” he sounded completely casual and relaxed, but Felicity knew him too well.

Barely two minutes into the conversation and Ray was already grating on her nerves.  
“This was a last minute decision. Oliver didn’t know if he was able to make it until the party had already started.” That technically wasn’t even a lie. “But like I already said last night, I hardly believe that one single addition would cause you any trouble with the space or beverages.”

The smile slipped from Ray’s face momentarily at her somewhat harsh tone, but he quickly covered it.  
“So, Oliver, huh?” At her nod, he continued. “Are you guys serious? I have never seen him around before. Not even the mention of him. I have to say I’m a little surprised to see him appear by your side all of sudden.”

Oh this was seriously going out of hand. Taking a deep breath, Felicity closed her eyes for a second to calm down her anger and sort out her thoughts before she looked up at Ray again.  
“If me dating Oliver is going to be a problem for you please let me know. Because when I applied for this job, all I ever interested in was a professional business relationship with you. If you are looking for more than I’m willing to give for this company then maybe I have to hand in my resignation. Lord knows Harrison Wells would hire me the moment I give him the call. You are letting him pester me at every event about it, after all.”  
Felicity didn’t care if it sounded arrogant or if she risked her job with the bold move. She was just sick of being propositioned month after month for two years, especially now that Ray seemed have to found a personal interest in her relationship with Oliver.

Ray’s facial features slipped as soon as her words registered with him. He quickly sat upright in his chair and had a hard time keeping calm.  
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here.” he rambled. “I was just curious because I’ve never seen you with anyone in the 3 years since you started working for me.”

“And I have no interest to share my personal life with anyone, Ray. This isn’t public business. I don’t appreciate you interrogating Katie about it, nor do I want to get the feeling Oliver isn’t welcome as my plus one on business events. So if this isn’t going to work for you, I’ll need to make arrangements.”

Her firm voice seemed to do it. Ray suddenly seemed terribly nervous to lose one of his employees, her new relationship all but forgotten.  
“I’m sorry if I offended you. That wasn’t my intention. I promise it won’t be a problem in the future.”

That sounded more like it.  
“Thank you.”

Just as quickly as he barged into her office, he left again, only this time not with his usual swagger. His shoulders were almost slumped. So much so, that even Katie noticed when she poke her head back in Felicity’s office after he left.  
“What did you say to him? I’ve never seen him go from 100 to zero like that in the span of a few minutes.”

A small grin covered Felicity’s lips.  
“I threatened to hand in my resignation and then told him that I don’t appreciate him bothering my friends about my relationship status.”

Katie’s eyes went wide at that.  
“You can’t leave! What the heck am I supposed to do without you here?”

“Well let’s hope it doesn’t come down to that. I like working here.” she smiled back. And she meant it. But if Ray kept his advances up and didn’t let go of his apparent obsession with her relationship status, she wouldn’t hesitate looking for another job. For now, though, it seemed that crisis had been averted.

 

Things between Oliver and Felicity got better and better each day after the party. It seemed that with Thea back in Oliver’s life and him finally able to go out into the open with her, Oliver seemed and felt like a whole new man. It made her incredibly happy.  
Every evening she came home to Oliver waiting for her with dinner, along with Lucky excitedly jumping around her legs the moment the front door opened.

And every night they went to bed, snuggled into each other’s arms. In over two weeks she hadn’t set foot into her guest room as almost all of Oliver’s clothes had found their way into some of her bedroom drawers and closet anyway. With him now taking up room in her bathroom - which she gladly shared with him - their transition as a couple fully living together had been finished.

As promised, Thea texted or called at least once a day. They even scheduled to meet some time in Starling City during one of Thea’s next visits. Ever since getting back in touch with his sister, Oliver seemed more relaxed and upbeat than she’d ever seen him. Even the small cold that Lucky apparently had caught couldn’t diminish his good mood.

 

Felicity was on her way back home from work one afternoon, hauling two bags filled with groceries for the next week, when a commotion in front of her home made her look up. From the distance she could see Oliver at the top of the stairs to their apartment, staring intently at a man standing at the foot of the steps. The way his eyes were trained on the man, his body completely still aside from his fists being balled by his side, Felicity instantly knew that something was very, very wrong.

With her bags deposited on the steps of the Shoemakers, Felicity approached the scene in front of her home with slow, measured steps. The moment Oliver noticed her, his eyes went wide before quickly facing the man now standing next to her. Sparing him a quick glance, she took the steps and stopped in front of Oliver.  
“You need to leave.” he almost growled over her shoulder at the man, not even acknowledging her standing right in front of him. Felicity had never heard that voice on him before. Seeing the look on Oliver’s face, coupled with the almost shaking fear in his eyes, it dawned on her who the man was, smirking at them from the foot of her stairs.

Taking a deep breath to steel her features, she slowly turned around and faced the man looking at them for the first time.  
“You heard him.” she spoke with a stern voice, her eyes hard despite the evil smirk Oliver’s father sent them. Now that she saw him face to face, the resemblance between father and son was obvious, though his father missed any of the soft and human features his son bore.

At her words, an evil smile appeared on the man’s lips.  
“Miss Smoak,” he began and it took a lot out of Felicity not to flinch or show how much it rattled her that this man knew exactly who she was.

Lucky kept growling at Robert from the front door, peeking his head between Oliver’s legs. Felicity reached behind her and took one of Oliver’s hands in hers, partly to give him support, but also so she wouldn’t storm down the stairs and slap that smirk off Robert’s face. Oliver squeezed her hand so tight she almost winced. His eyes never left his father’s, even when she looked up at him over her shoulder.  
She was about to try to get his attention again, but that was when she noticed it. Oliver’s wide eyes, focused solely on the man that was still smirking at them. The flared nostrils that indicated pure anger and hatred. But the most prominent feature she noticed about him was his trembling hand. It was shaking so faintly no one from the outside would’ve noticed, but she could read it clear as day. Oliver was scared, something she had never seen happening with him.

“How did you find me?” he snapped, forcing Felicity’s attention back towards the man looking up at them.

“That little party you attended.” Robert smirked. “Though I have to say I was a little surprised to see you at such an event. I recall it really wasn’t your scene last I saw you around.”

“You aren’t welcome here.”  
The words came firmer and stronger than Oliver had ever heard them from Felicity. It impressed him to no end but also scared him shitless, because getting involved with his own father usually didn’t end so well for the other party. And he wanted to keep Felicity as far away from his father as possible. Even if it meant having to go back himself.

Robert looked at Oliver, still standing close by Felicity’s side, her hand firmly clasped in his, before turning his attention solely to her, a smug smile on his lips.  
“I am sure you don’t want to get caught in this, Miss Smoak.”

Her eyes flashed with anger at the other man’s words. Robert knew more about her than she was comfortable to admit. He’d found out where his son was living, after all. But thanks to her thorough research in the last weeks she didn’t come unprepared, either.

“A starving cocktail waitress from Vegas for a mother, the father astray... what would you do if you lost your precious job at Palmer Tech? I can imagine this pretty little house will be tough to fund without a boss paying as generous as Palmer does, doesn’t it?”

Oh how she wanted to wipe the smirk off that man’s face!  
And even though it took all her restraint, she remained standing by Oliver’s side, not leaving him alone in front of his father. Instead, she plastered on the fakest smile she could muster and took a step down towards the man standing just feet from them.  
“You know, Mister Queen,” she began and immediately felt Oliver’s hand tense, trying to stop her, to hold her back. But she wasn’t going to let this man intimidate her or Oliver ever again. It may had worked with other people in Starling City, but it sure as hell wouldn’t work with her.  
“Just like you seem to have done your homework on me, I have done mine on you as well.”

The smug grin on Robert’s face dimmed a little and Felicity instantly knew she had hit a sensitive mark. Digging through Robert Queen’s life obviously struck a nerve with the man, but she knew that already. The stuff she had found out had proven that.  
“You’re treading very deep waters here, Miss Smoak. Be careful you’re not biting more than you can chew.” he sneered.

“Oh, I’m thoroughly enjoying my meal, but thank you for your concern. You see, I found the course with something called ‘blackmailing Bradley Corp’ to be the most tasty.”

Oliver’s fingers tensed the moment Robert’s face turned beet red. Felicity was pulling the lion's tail here and she definitely had no idea what she would unleash on them shouldn’t she back off now.  
“Felicity,” Oliver whispered harshly, begging her to stop and just shut up.

But Felicity merely smiled up at him, her eyes showing no hint of stress or nervosity. She winked at him once, squeezed his hand and turned her attention back to his father.  
“So this is how things are going to go from here... you’re going to step away from my front porch and won’t return back unless invited, which we both know won’t happen. You’re going to stop threatening Oliver or me, or anyone else in our life.”

Robert laughed at her words, the sudden anger seemingly forgotten for a moment.  
“And why should I do that?”

Felicity answered his laugh with a confident smile of her own.  
“Because if you’re not, I’m going to give the Starling Inquirer an exclusive that will tell every person in the city what kind of man the head of Queen Consolidated really is. How he blackmailed multiple small companies, ruined families throughout the entire state, just to grow his own precious firm.”

Robert’s eyes went wide for a second, utter shock evident in them before he was able to mask his features again.  
“You have no idea what you are talking about.”

“Actually, I do. And I have several written statements of victims that will testify against you in a heartbeat. Didn’t even took much of an effort to convince them. As soon as they heard your name and I explained to them what the statements would be for they immediately were on board.”

Oliver’s eyes went wide at that. He had no idea Felicity had been doing all this without his knowledge. He had no idea she was preparing to do all this for him, even though he’d been keeping her in the dark for so long.

“It’s funny how many people in this city aren’t so fond of you, despite what newspapers want us to believe, isn’t it?” she smiled.

“You are making a big mistake, Miss Smoak,” Robert sneered. “You don’t have any idea what you’re getting yourself into.”

Felicity let go of Oliver’s hand and took a threatening step down the stairs to the man standing opposite of her.  
“I know exactly what I’m doing, _Mister Queen_ ,” she shot back, her eyes full of fury despite the calm and collected appearance of her body. “I have friends, and I have ressources, and I will unleash hell on you if you so much as breathe wrong in Oliver’s direction again.”

Her heart was racing, the grip on Oliver’s hand so tight she was sure she might bruise it, but she needed that connection right now. When the door of the apartment next to hers opened though, all three heads whipped around to face it.  
Felicity breathed an internal sigh of relief when John suddenly stepped out, taking in the scene in front of him. As soon as his eyes landed on Oliver’s rigid posture and Felicity’s tight grip on his hand behind her back, his posture went imposingly hard. With the tiniest of a nod towards her, John turned to face the man that had been the cause for all the sudden commotion at the foot of her steps.  
“Sir, I need you to leave the premises now.” he spoke with a calm, authoritative voice, one Felicity had never heard him use before.

Robert seemed surprised by the sudden ally that formed around his son, clearly not used to getting so much backlash from so many sides. It gave Felicity an extra boost of confidence that what she did just now was the right thing to do. And the only thing to do, if Oliver’s still desperate grip on her hand was any indication.  
  


For a long while no one said anything. Felicity was still shooting daggers at Robert, not even blinking while Robert stared right back at her. John looked impassive on the outside, but the way he kept his hard gaze solely focused on Robert Queen made it clear to her that he was anything but.  
Felicity could see the gears turning in Robert’s head, trying to read how serious of a threat had been posed to him. Oliver just stared right ahead over her shoulder, a mixture between worry and hate on his face while he looked at his father.

In the end, Robert took a step back from her front step without so much as a nod. Just when he was about to disappear into the open car door waiting for him, he stopped and turned to face them again.  
“I hope you know what you’re doing, Miss Smoak. For your own sake, of course.”  
Not giving Felicity a chance to respond, the door closed and the driver rounded the car before disappearing from the curb a minute later.

John immediately turned his attention towards Felicity and Oliver the moment the car was out of sight, concern evident in his voice.  
“Are you guys alright?”

Felicity nodded once but Oliver didn’t move a muscle. His eyes still lingered on the place his father’s car had last been seen. It was as if he wasn’t even present with her, though his grip on her hand had loosened the farer his father got away from them.  
“Oliver?” she tried after turning around, looking up at him with worry. When he didn’t acknowledge her, she pressed her palm to his cheek. That finally seemed to gain his attention. His eyes snapped down to hers, blinking one, twice, as if he just focused back into the present. Up until John made a small sound on his front porch, Oliver hadn’t noticed the man standing a few feet away from them.

Looking over at John, who only nodded once and then disappeared into the apartment, Oliver turned his attention back towards Felicity.  
“You shouldn’t have done that.” he rasped out, distress still evident in his eyes. “You have no idea what my father is capable of doing when provoked.”

With an exhausted smile on her face, she took a step back from him.  
“Let’s get inside and talk there. It’s freezing.”

Oliver nodded but when she took a step down the stairs instead of inside the apartment where Lucky was waiting for them, Oliver’s entire posture froze, grabbing her wrist in panic.

“I need to grab my grocery bags.” she smiled and nodded towards the two paper bags sitting on the Shoemaker’s front step. As soon as he seemed to realize she wasn’t going to go after his father, he relaxed and nodded once before heading back inside.  
  


He was waiting for her when she returned back inside with both bags in hand, and he was waiting for her while she stored away the goods. It gave him time to gather the hundreds of questions that were running through his mind about what had just happened 5 minutes ago. His mind was racing a mile a minute whereas Felicity looked incredibly calm and collected in the kitchen. It just made no sense to him.

“Felicity,” he began and stood up from where he was sitting on the couch, his patience finally worn. She closed the last cupboard and turned to face him. The moment she saw the distress on his face, her expression softened a bit. With a small smile on her lips, she slowly walked over to him and sat down on the couch, waiting for him to do the same.

“You probably have a few questions.” she smiled softly and took one of his hands in hers.

Not picking up on her attempt to cheer up the mood a bit, he looked her straight in the eyes.  
“What was all this? What you said to my father… about the blackmailing and the other companies… Is this true? You can’t get involved with my father, Felicity, I beg you -”

With a gentle squeeze to his hand she cut off his ramble.  
“Oliver,” she smiled reassuringly at him, something that confused him even more. “you have to trust me that I know exactly what I’m doing.”

Her words didn’t make sense to him at all. How could she say such a thing when she had no idea what kind of man Robert Queen really was? If anyone knew, then it was him. But definitely not Felicity. And there was no way in hell he’d let anything happen to her or Thea, especially not through his father’s hand, even though he blindly trusted her.

With a small breath leaving her lips, she continued.  
“I had hoped I had a little more time for this. There are still things I need to sort out but I guess your father showing up on our doorstep destroyed my plans a little.”

Plans. That word put a whole new amount of fear into his body. She couldn’t plan anything against his father. No way.  
“What plans? What is all this?”

Ignoring the utter fear radiating from him once again, she took a second before replying.  
“I’ve been doing some… research on your father. I didn’t intend to, but while looking for a picture of Ariel I stumbled over some articles that drew my attention. So I looked a little deeper. Then I found some things that were rather disturbing, but what surprised me the most was the almost non-existent amount of newspaper articles around it. I mean, with the life of the entire Queen family being practically dissected at all times, I was a little confused to find nothing about this one particular topic. Not a peep, nothing, nada.”

“Felicity,” he suddenly cut off her ramble. “You’re not making any sense right now. What kind of topic?”

“The one where your father had been blackmailing smaller companies all around Starling City for years. At first he tries to buy them. When they refuse - what most of the companies he approached did - he changes tactics. Forging documents, hiring P.I.s to snoop on the families' lives, ruining the business’ reputation, you name it. Even threatens the families directly in one case that I know of so far. All so he could swallow the company, stomp it to the ground and build another branch of Queen Consolidated in its place. This has been going on for years. Way before you left, actually. Did you ever notice any of that?”

No, he never did. Actually, Oliver was so stunned by her words that he had a hard time keeping up with everything she said. His brain was trying to come up with any verification of her words, trying to remember anything out of the norm he might have witnessed his father doing back when he was still working at the company. But in truth, he never spent much time with his father, always working on his own projects with little time to care for what his father might be up to.  
But he knew her words could have some truth to them. Shortly before his daughter died, his father had boasted himself with another upcoming expansion of the company, something about a worksite in the North District.

Could he see his father blackmailing others to hand over their companies? Years ago he would’ve said no, now he knew that this was absolutely possible. Not only that, he knew that his father had been involved in criminal activities in the past, so why not threatening other business owners as well? But that was the exact reason he wanted the woman he loved far, far away from the man that was his father.  
“Felicity, we shouldn’t get involved with this… whatever this is. You don’t even know if these information are legit.”

“Actually, I do.” she cut in. “Like I already told your father, I have witnesses ready to confirm what I found out. I might have been bluffing a little when I told your father that we already have written statements in hand, because like I said, him showing up so soon thwarted my plans a little, but it doesn’t matter. All I need is another 2 days. Three, tops.”

She was buzzing with energy, almost looking excited while she spoke. He couldn’t even fathom why, couldn’t even understand the reasons behind all this.  
“Why?” was all he could croak out.

Giving his hand a supportive squeeze, she waited until Oliver looked back into her eyes again, giving him all the time he needed to follow her words.  
“Because when the time would come and your father approached you again - and we both knew that it would happen sooner or later, after everything you’ve told me - I wanted us to be prepared. Because I am not going to let that man hurt you any more. Because I love you and will fight for you to live in peace.”

Her words made him choke on everything he could have said in reply because frankly, what could he say to a speech so incredible as hers just now? Hadn’t he known how much she loved him for a while now, her last words just made it perfectly clear. But it also frightened him, because fighting for his own freedom and peace meant putting up with the most scary man he knew.  
“I don’t want you to get involved with my father, Felicity.” he pleaded once again. It all made sense what she said, even seemed like an olive branch they could grab and work with against his father, but he knew better. He knew his father better than anyone else.

It took her only a second to reply, a sudden fire flashing in her eyes, oozing excitement and confidence all at once.  
“We’re not getting involved, Oliver. We’re going to war against him.”


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey gang!  
> I'm sorry this is a day late, but I'm still on vacation and don't really have time and internet access to post more regularly. Also, this will be more of a filler chapter. We'll be back to our original timetable this friday! :)

It took Felicity several hours to lay everything out on the table for Oliver; everything she was able to dug out of the internet about Robert Queen. She told him in detail about the companies his father had destroyed, the money he seemed to be laundering on some offshore accounts and the fact that he was paying off several newspapers to silence them about his activities.  
Oliver didn’t bother asking how she managed to find out all this, because obviously these weren’t information one could easily find on the internet with just a few clicks. But after knowing her for a good while now and the way her brain functioned, he wasn’t surprised she was able to undug all this. What surprised him though was the fact that she was able to do it so fast and without him knowing about it.

In the end, he seemed a whole lot calmer than he did when they confronted his father in front of her home, but not at all relaxed about her plans. Giving her and himself time to think about everything that had been said, Oliver and Felicity went to bed that night. Sleep didn’t come easily, especially for Oliver, but in the end, feeling her tightly wrapped around him, knowing she was safe by his side, helped him drift off to sleep.

 

Since it was saturday, they both slept in. Even Lucky seemed in no mood to get up and leave the warm confines of her mattress. Snuggling closer into Oliver’s chest, Felicity almost drifted off to sleep again when suddenly a loud knock on her front door jolted her awake. Lucky was out off the bed within a nanosecond, barking loudly while he barreled his way down the stairs to the front door. Oliver looked over at the clock on the nightstand before facing an equally frowning Felicity.  
“Are you expecting someone?”

She shook her head, checking her phone for any message. Maybe Katie decided to show up unannounced? Realizing it was barely 9am and Lucky was still barking at the intruder on the front door, she sighed and kicked off her blanket.  
“Maybe it’s the mailman or Mrs.Shoemaker. Their cat tends to get lost and sometimes wanders into the wrong backyard.” Felicity spoke while putting on a morning robe. Oliver was out of bed the moment she left the room, instantly alert. A quick check of the window didn’t show anything out of the ordinary, so he dressed quickly in sweats and a t-shirt and made his way downstairs.  
The moment he heard Felicity open the front door, Lucky’s loud barking ceased entirely. It instantly put Oliver at ease a bit because it meant it wouldn’t be his father standing at their door. The way Lucky had growled at Robert the night before made it clear that his best friend would never let that man inside her apartment without a fight.

Jogging downstairs his body immediately relaxed the moment he saw John sitting at the dining table with Felicity, a steaming travel mug of coffee in front of them. This kind of intruder he didn’t mind one bit. When he saw concern etched on the man’s face though, he knew something was up.  
Felicity’s equally worried look met Oliver’s when he stepped into the living room.

“What’s wrong?”

Felicity glanced towards John, waiting for him to speak while Oliver took a seat at the table.  
“Have you noticed anything unusual before or after going to bed? Any movements near the house?”

John’s words instantly put Oliver on alert.  
“No, why?”

“After going to bed I noticed an unknown black car parked across the street with someone sitting inside, clearly watching the perimeter. When I checked again this morning the car was gone.”

Oliver instantly thought back to the visit of his father the day before. Clearly this was no coincidence. Not with Robert knowing where he lived now and how Felicity practically declared war against the man.

“Do you think this could’ve been your father?” she asked hesitantly.

Oliver shrugged. “That definitely sounds like something he would do.”

John listened to them before he spoke up again.  
“Until we know exactly who that was and what that person was doing in our neighborhood, I suggest I’m staying by your side now, Oliver. After what happened yesterday you really shouldn’t take any risks. Neither of you.” he added, looking over at Felicity.  
Oliver was about to wave him off but Felicity eagerly nodded her head, liking the idea of not having to worry about him.

“And who will look after you?” Oliver cut in.

“I’m a big girl that grew up in Vegas. I know how to look after myself.” she smiled at him and carefully blew into her mug to cool down the steaming hot coffee. “And besides, Robert now knows that I know. He wouldn’t risk having all these information leaked to the public should something happen to me.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” John chimed in before Oliver could reply anything to that. “You need protection just as much as Oliver is going to need it. At this point neither of you have any idea what your father’s next move will be,” he spoke and addressed Oliver. “He could be doing nothing at all, or he could be planning an attack of some sort. And as long as we have no idea what he’s up to, we need to be one step ahead, which means being alert at all times.”

It made total sense, but that didn’t mean that Oliver liked that suggestion. Having another friend dragged into this mess was not what he wanted to do. Not at all. It was already bad enough that Felicity was now head over heels involved in this mess, but dragging John into it as well? He sure as hell didn’t want that. But of course the man was persistent.

“I’m not going to have you shadow my every move, especially not at work, John.” Oliver protested. “We can keep on running together in the mornings, and I won’t mind having some company every now and then when taking Lucky for a walk. But there’s no way I’m getting myself security from my own father!”

Felicity could understand his reasoning, but after his father’s performance the night before, where he also made it abundantly clear that Felicity wasn’t the only one that had done her homework about Robert, it definitely made sense to her.  
“I was going to make some calls this morning, get everything settled with the written statements… I was hoping we’d have more time but this will do. The sooner we have everything laid out the sooner we’ll know what we’re going against.”

Oliver watched Felicity speaking to both him and John with dread settling in his stomach. This was the exact thing he didn’t want happening in all those years - causing a commotion, ruffling his father’s feathers and on top of it all, having to fear the media could catch wind of it all and invade his personal life again like they did years ago - or worse, invade Felicity's.  
His instincts screamed at him to run; to stop Felicity and shut all her plans down right this moment. But of course she was right with what she told him the night before. This wasn’t them starting all this, it had been Robert when he decided to show up unannounced and start threatening Oliver again. He opened that can of worms, clearly not aware Oliver was now willing to fight back. Or, well, Felicity was. Without her help and all the information she had undug, that exact conversation wouldn’t be happening at that moment.

He was so lost in his head that he hadn’t even noticed John heading out and Felicity leaving the table to get dressed for work. It was just when she kissed him goodbye and packed her stuff to leave that he snapped back to the reality.  
“Promise you’ll be careful.” he murmured and stole another quick kiss, not bothering to wipe her lipstick off his lips.

Felicity pulled back and smiled warmly up at him.  
“I will. And you make sure Mr.Graham gets his kitchen cabinets fixed. I’ll see you tonight.”

He was reluctant to let her go. It had always been that way, but even more so after his father had showed up. The desire to keep her by his side where he knew she was safe was almost too strong. Thankfully he could distract himself with work for most of the day.

 

 

Thanks to Katie and her incredible organizing skills, Felicity managed to eat lunch before her official lunch hour, meaning she could take that time to dig up some more information that could help her and Oliver. One of the company owners that got screwed over by Robert Queen had already been in touch with her lawyer, which put her at ease. At least the bluff towards Oliver’s father was no longer just a bluff. She also made a mental note to send a huge box of chocolate to her friend for helping her out with this. When Felicity and Caitlin met during college times, a nice friendship had blossomed from it. Throughout the years, the women barely had time to meet, let alone speak on the phone, since Caitlin was running her own law firm on the East Coast, but whenever something came up, Felicity knew she could rely on her friend. Which she now greatly appreciated.  
It was also Caitlin who advised Felicity to make sure Oliver had an official, registered, tax paying job so his father wouldn’t be able to get to him that way. With a few ideas how to handle that in mind, Felicity went on with her research about one certain Robert Queen.

 

True to his word, John had been waiting for him when Oliver came home during a break to take Lucky for a walk. Deciding to make good use of the weather, the men put on their running gear and took the dog for a nice jog through the park.  
“I need to get into the city some time this week,” Oliver spoke between breaths, never breaking stride next to his friend. “Wanted to get my ID and license again.”

“Finally deciding to officially join the land of the living again, huh?” John huffed back with a sly grin on his lips.

His words made Oliver smile.  
“Yeah, something like that. I’ve been living in hiding long enough.”

John slowed down to a walk, waiting for Lucky to catch up with them.  
“That’s good, man. Good to see you moving forward.”

“Yeah well that’s all Felicity’s doing.”

“See that’s where you’re wrong,” John interjected. “Felicity might be the one to push you to make the first step, but you’re the one that has to start walking.”

Oliver had no idea what to say to that, so he silently jogged alongside his friend. Ever since he and John became friends, the man had been the voice of reason more often than Oliver could count. It was something he wasn’t accustomed to at all. Not with his old friends, and certainly not with his family.

“I need to get into the city in an hour to drop off some papers. We could kill two birds with one stone.” he offered and Oliver instantly agreed.

 

Exactly an hour later, Oliver and John were heading to the city. The inside of his coat felt heavy and he couldn’t help keeping a hand safely tucked over it the entire way. After all, his earnings of two weeks were currently tucked inside it. 835$, to be exact. The last time he had so much cash on him was when he went to pay for Ariel’s gravestone. Now, 3 long years later, he was about to open his own bank account for the first time and put that money in it. It felt like the first step of a new beginning for him.  
After a quick stop at the DMV they made their way over to the First Bank of Starling. John dropped him off and took care of his own stuff while Oliver and a young banker opened his very first bank account. To think that it took him almost 30 years for that made him shake his head internally.

Just when he shook hands with the banker and gathered his papers, the phone in his pocket began to ring. It had taken him a good few days to get used to having a phone again but since there was a steady stream of clients now, being reachable all the time wasn’t too bad. Pulling out his phone he saw Felicity’s face lighting up the screen.  
Concern edged on his face. She had never called him before, at least not that early in the day. Sometimes they discussed what to eat when she got home, but since it was barely 1pm her phone call thoroughly worried and confused him.  
“Hey, is everything alright?”

The laughter in her voice instantly put him at ease.  
“Of course. I just wanted to let you know that I’ll be home a little earlier today and that we’re gonna need to borrow that suit again you got from John.”

He had no idea what she was talking about, but she sounded almost giddy with excitement.  
“Is there another party at Palmer Tech you haven’t told me about?”  
Not that he was particularly interested in going to another party so soon. Not since the last one had been the reason his father found him again.

“No. But you’re going to need it tomorrow, and that’s all I’m telling you for now.”

It made no sense whatsoever, but the fact that she was so cheerful made him relax and agree. Not that he was able to talk himself out of her ideas, anyway.

 

Neither John nor Oliver were home when she got back, but at least Lucky was there to frantically greet her. It gave Felicity the time to go over the plan in her head once more. After the major bomb she had dug up on Robert - or rather, on Oliver - a plan had formed in her head. Caitlin had called to confirm the second written statement was on its way to her office when Felicity had made another call and got herself and Oliver an appointment for the following morning that would probably - hopefully - change Oliver’s life forever. Now Oliver only needed to see it that way, too, and agree with her plan. It was a bold move not to indulge him until the next morning, but knowing Oliver he would never agree with what she had planned. Not with with way he still feared his father. But this once she needed to force him out of his shell of fear and make him realize that her plan was indeed a brilliant one.

 

Oliver got home just when she came out of the shower. With a bag full of chinese takeout in his hands, he smiled at her when she spotted him in the hallway. Seeing him like that, all relaxed, with freshly cut hair and a trimmed beard, dressed in nice clothes and with a good amount of weight and muscles on his body, gave her pause. She saw him like that every day, but just like this, with a casual smile on his lips, his house keys dangling from one finger and his coat discarded on the hook right next to hers, made her once again realize how far along Oliver had come in the last months. And every month that passed, she managed to fall more deeply in love with him.

“You’re staring.” he grinned and put the food on the dining table.

“And you’re in an awfully good mood today.” she shot back, noticing just now how a smile was permanently parked on his face. Not that Oliver rarely smiled, but he usually kept it for special moments, just for her. So this, this definitely meant something.

“Got my driver’s license this morning. And I opened a bank account. Figured it was better than keeping the money in your nightstand.” he casually spoke while setting up the table.  
Felicity stared at him with wide eyes. Only when he didn’t get a reply from her did her turn around and look at her, seeing surprise etched on her face.  
“What?”

“You got your driver’s license.”  
He nodded once, looking around a little unsure.  
“And you opened a bank account today.”  
Another nod. Now he was getting really uncomfortable. Was it a bad idea? He certainly had weighed the pros and cons before doing it, which was why he picked the First Bank over the Starling National. He wasn’t about to risk the chance and have someone tip off his father that he had opened an account at the very same bank Robert was doing Queen Consolidated business with.

He was about to ask what was wrong when Felicity closed the distance between them with three quick steps, wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss.  
“That is so awesome, Oliver!” she mumbled between kisses. “I wanted to suggest it for a while now, but didn’t want to pressure you. And now you’ve gone and done it yourself. Baby steps.” she smiled up at him, pride evident in her eyes.

“Baby steps.” he agreed.

When she looked up at him, her eyes gleamed with excitement.  
“Another baby step would be to get your ID and put this address as your permanent residence.” she tried carefully, an almost innocent smile playing on her lips.  
When Oliver didn’t immediately reply, she quickly went to backtrack and explain her idea.  
“I mean, since your father knows where you live now, anyway, I figured now would be a good time as ever for it.”

“So this means we’re making it official?” he grinned back down at her.

“For the world to know.” she grinned back and stole another kiss. Some may tell her that having her boyfriend move in after just two months of dating was a bit too fast, but nothing in their relationship had been the norm, so she didn’t really care.

 

They ate together while Oliver talked about his day. Felicity was unusually quiet, even though she seemed happy. It made him remember their phone call earlier.  
“Are you going to tell me now why I need to borrow a suit from John again?”

“No.” she smiled. “You’re gonna have to trust me on this one.”

“I can do that.” he replied instantly. And it was the truth. He couldn’t remember ever trusting someone so explicitly like he trusted Felicity. So if she needed him in a suit the next day for something she didn’t want to tell him about yet? He could absolutely do that for her.

 

Sleep didn’t come easily for Felicity that night. A ton of thoughts ran through her mind, playing out all the different outcomes how her appointment could go the next day. She wasn’t worried if things might go south - no, it was the different ways Oliver could react that made her queasy. Just before drifting off to sleep she placed a kiss to his chest, willing him not to freak out in a few hours.

 

The next morning Felicity was up and running way before Oliver. He was confused at first, waking up to find the bed beside him empty, but the smell of coffee and the absence of his dog made it clear she must be downstairs already. Since she told him they wouldn’t have to leave until 10.30 to that ominous appointment, he didn’t bother putting on the suit just yet.  
Felicity was sitting on the couch, the tablet in her lap, a coffee mug in hand, completely oblivious to Oliver’s presence.  
“You’re up early.” he said and her head whipped up in surprise at his voice coming from so close beside her. It quickly changed into a warm smile though.

“Yeah, a lot going on up in here.” she replied and gestured around her head.

“Care to elaborate?”

Abandoning the coffee and tablet, she got up and walked over to him.  
“I’d rather have an awesome breakfast with you.” she mumbled, placed both hands on his firm chest and leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss him.

 

They both enjoyed a cup of coffee before Oliver took off for a short morning run with John and Lucky. Felicity took the time to get ready, knowing Oliver would only need 20 minutes tops, anyway. With her most business - looking outfit laid out on the bed, she hopped under the shower.

When Oliver returned, sweaty and out of breath, Felicity was just putting the finishing touches to her hair. He moment her saw her standing in front of the bathroom mirror, dressed impeccably in a tight black skirt and pale pink blouse, her hair tangling over her shoulders in soft curls, made him stop and take her in for a moment. Her outfit both might have looked sweet and pretty to an outsider, but Oliver could see it also screamed business. Paired with the suit he was about to put on, they would be screaming ‘power-couple’ to the world. It piqued his curiosity all the more at where they were going.

 

Felicity had to forcefully tear her gaze away from him when he came downstairs. They didn’t have time for that. Not with such an important meeting ahead of them. She would have time to thoroughly admire him as soon as they were back home.

Cramped in her Mini Cooper they made their way to Palmer Tech. That was the first thing that thoroughly confused him. Didn’t she say there was no party?  
“I just need to grab some stuff, then we’re good to go.” she spoke over her shoulder, willing him to follow her into the building. Oliver trudged along silently as she made her way through the lobby and to the elevators.

He hadn’t been in her office before. It was a spacious room, with floor to ceiling windows running along one side of the room. It reminded him of his old office at QC, though it looked a lot more welcoming in hers with flowers arranged here and there and a small sitting area on the off side.  
Felicity didn’t say anything, she just went over to the safe in her wall, punched the code into the keypad and pulled a white folder from it once the door opened. As soon as it was safely tucked in her purse, she turned and smiled up at him.  
“Now we’re ready to go.”

They didn’t take the car this time. Instead, Felicity intertwined her fingers with his and pulled him along the sidewalk. He followed silently, the feeling of her palm in his soothing his nerves, though it was still new to him to walk around the city so openly and not with his head bowed down to shield himself from everyone around him.  
  


The moment it dawned on him where they were heading though, his step faltered. Stopping her right before heading up the steps to the building, Felicity turned to look at him. He was about to say something but she beat him to it, reading the apprehension on his face clear as day. Taking a step towards him, she placed a hand on his arm. “Do you trust me?”  
He instantly nodded once, not even missing a beat.  
A wide, almost beaming smile lit up her face. “Good. Then come on. We don’t want to be late.” She turned and proceeded walking up the stairs, her hand firmly holding his. Oliver seemed reluctant for a moment, but still fell in step with her, his wary eyes never leaving the dreaded building they were heading to.

“Late for what?”

“You’ll see.” she winked. “I promised you not to go against your father publicly, but that doesn’t mean I won’t fight for what’s rightfully yours.”


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey gang!
> 
> Man, what a finale that was! I'm still super pumped (thanks to tumblr :D ). Now I'm excited to see Oliver move back into the loft with William now by his side. Also, now that only Lyla seems to be left in Star City to help him, this might make an interesting start of season 6! If it only were October already...
> 
> Anyway, with hellatus now ahead of us, I'll make sure to take the time and get this story all wrapped up (I have some fun new stuff lined up already once I'm done with this story!). Now that I have actually mapped out the rest of this story, I can now say it shouldn't be more than 3 chapters (after this one) plus the epilogue.  
> (I know I've said that before, like, 10 chapters ago, but this time it should be true :D )

After what Felicity had said to his father the day Robert had come to her house, Oliver was sure that this woman was stronger and fiercer than anyone he’d ever met. And she no doubt was able to stun his father speechless momentarily. But that still didn’t mean he was willing to let her do anything stupid, maybe even threaten her own career in the process. He was thankful she had seen his reasoning and agreed not to involve the media. Now, though, he was getting incredibly nervous about what she might be up to instead.

Just when they entered the lobby of Queen Consolidated and stepped up to the reception desk, he tried to stop her. But then he noticed the people openly gawking at him. Not everyone, but he could feel the eyes of almost a hundred people on him, only a very few he actually recognized. Of course they would stare. After being gone for almost 4 years he suddenly waltzed back into his family’s company like nothing had happened? Yeah, coming here was a terrible idea.  
“Felicity, please. Let’s just go.” he whispered but she completely ignored him and smiled up at the woman sitting at the front desk. The woman who wasn’t paying Felicity any attention but kept looking at Oliver with wide eyes.

“Hi, Felicity Smoak for Palmer Tech. We have an appointment with Mr. Queen at 11am. Could you let us know which floor to, please?”

Finally, the woman’s eyes darted from Oliver to Felicity, who was still patiently waiting and smiling at her. It took her a second to register what Felicity had said, but then she cleared her throat and looked down at the computer.  
After another disbelieving glance towards Oliver, who was growing more and more uncomfortable by the minute, the woman turned her attention back towards Felicity.  
“It’s the 14th floor, you can take the private elevator straight up there. Mr. Queen’s assistant will buzz you through then.”

Felicity thanked her and was about to turn and head for the elevators when she stopped and turned once again.  
“Oh and could you maybe not inform Mr. Queen that we’re here yet? He has no idea and we want it to be a surprise.” she smiled, sent the woman a knowing wink and nudged her head slightly in Oliver’s direction.

The woman’s eyes immediately lit up.  
“Of course. He will be so happy. Good to see you back, Mr. Queen.” she smiled shyly, even a little blush forming on her cheeks. Felicity couldn’t help but roll her eyes with amusement.

Oliver curtly nodded once and turned to head for the elevators, even though to Felicity it felt more like fleeing the scene.  
The moment the elevator doors closed though, Oliver turned towards her.  
“Whatever you’re planning, Felicity, please reconsider. You have no idea what my father would do just to mess with you. I want you as far away from him as possible. Please, let’s just leave.”

He sounded so desperate, so clearly worried about what his father might do that for a moment, she thought about calling the whole thing off. But then she remembered the way Oliver’s father had treated his son all these years, how much he demanded yet how little he cared. And after forcing his own son onto the street for nearly 4 years, it was finally time for some retribution.  
Grasping his hand firmly in hers, she gave it a reassuring squeeze.  
“Trust me, I know exactly what we’re getting into. It’ll be your father that won’t see what’s coming over him.” she smiled and placed a quick peck on his lips. She barely had the time to wipe lipstick off his lips before the elevator doors opened behind them.

Oliver’s whole body immediately stiffened. He was about to say something to her again when Felicity pulled him forward and out of the elevator. Robert’s assistant was someone Oliver not recognized which made him sigh a breath of relief for a second. But then he remembered the kind-hearted Sherry that had been his father’s personal assistant ever since Oliver could remember. The woman had been more of a parent to him and Thea than his own father ever could. Every time Robert abandoned his kids for a meeting or last minute business lunch, Sherry watched over them, gave them coloring books and even played board games with them. He knew exactly where the woman hid the candy bars in her desk and how to pry open the drawer without her noticing. The memory put a small smile on his lips momentarily. Only there wasn’t Sherry greeting them now.  
Now, a slender young woman, probably less than half his father’s age, with eyes and hair as black as the night greeted them with an icy stare, not even a hint of a smile covering her lips.  
“Can I help you?” she clipped out.

Oliver scanned the name plate while Felicity spoke to the woman. Isabel Rochev. The name didn’t ring a bell. She must have started working for the company after he left. He instantly missed Sherry and her warm and welcoming smiles. But other than most people in the lobby, this woman didn’t seem to recognize Oliver yet. His eyes still darted towards the closed office door where he knew his father would be sitting. After the encounter at Felicity’s front door he never would have imagined meeting his father so soon again, let alone in his own office. But that was exactly where they were heading now.

Isabel sent them both another icy glare before picking up the phone.  
“Mr.Queen, your 11am Palmer Tech appointment is waiting for you.”

“Send them in.” came the curt reply from his closed office door.

 

Now it was now or never. Things had gone exactly according to plan, which gave Felicity an extra boost of confidence before stepping through the office doors. Oliver seemed more tense than ever, though. Giving his hand another supportive squeeze, she sent a small smile over her shoulders at him and grasped the door handle.

Robert Queen was sitting at his desk when they walked in. Oliver could feel the tension in Felicity’s hand increase, but she kept a relaxed smile plastered on her face. It impressed him to no end how she could hold herself together.  
The moment his father looked up though and saw who was standing in his office, his eyes went wide in surprise for a second before turning into angry slits.  
“You! I should’ve known this was going to be a setup since no one of this god forsaken company has ever bothered getting in touch with me before.” he snapped directly at Felicity, his eyes briefly flickering to their entwined hands before finally settling on Oliver.

“Yeah, I figured since you showed up unannounced on our doorstep, it’s only fair we repay the favor.” she smiled at him and confidently walked over to the chairs sitting opposite of his desk. Oliver followed her, his eyes never leaving his father’s.

“I’m calling security.”

The fact that his father was asking for help to get them removed was almost comical, even to Oliver.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Felicity interrupted him when Robert picked up the receiver. “Not until you hear what we have to say, at least. I doubt neither Oliver nor I will ever come back here after that, anyway.” she spoke with a casual shrug and cast a quick glance around the office, the distaste evident on her face.

Her words seemed to halt the man for a moment. Looking from her over to Oliver, he placed the receiver back on his desk.  
“You have one minute to explain what you are doing here before I have you removed from the premises.”

Felicity sent Oliver a small smile and a nod that he couldn’t decipher before turning her attention towards his father.  
“We’re here to discuss the fact that Oliver still holds 25% shares of Queen Consolidated.”

That one sentence suddenly got her the attention of both men. While Oliver’s head snapped around in surprise at her words, Robert’s expression quickly morphed from annoyance to pure anger.  
Catching the man opposite of her by surprise gave her an extra boost of confidence.

It was Robert’s sudden burst of laughter though, that made Oliver’s head snap back towards his father. The man actually held his stomach while he openly laughed at them.  
“Now this is the funniest shit I’ve heard all week.”

Felicity, seemingly unfazed by his father’s arrogance, pulled the folder she had retrieved earlier out of her purse, grabbed out a single sheet of paper and placed it on Robert’s desk.  
“Then I bet this will make you stop laughing.”

Robert’s laughter indeed died in his throat the moment he read the first few lines on the sheet in front of him. She knew he knew that paper. It had been one of the documents he ordered to be destroyed years ago, after all. That she stumbled over it by sheer luck while researching more facts about Oliver’s father could now be their biggest asset.  
“Where did you get this?”

From the look on Oliver’s face, he was probably wondering the same. It didn’t really surprise her that Oliver had no idea about all this, though she still hadn’t figured out the reasons behind that. Not that it mattered.  
What mattered now was the fact that Oliver still held 25% of the company, something that apparently didn’t sit well with his father.  
“That’s not important. What is important though is the fact that you tried to get these 25% back after Oliver quit his job and disappeared. The fact that you even tried to declare your son dead to get your hands on it only adds to the fact.”

That earned her a shocked gasp from Oliver beside her. Yeah, that one she wouldn’t believe if she hadn’t seen it, either. Thankfully Oliver had never been reported missing and some people apparently noticed him on the street in the early days, so Robert had no real hold there. But seeing that slip of information had been the main trigger that set her plans in motion. She would have loved to prepare Oliver for that news somehow, but since she had no idea how to do that without revealing her entire plan, she'd tried to keep it buried in the farest place of her mind for the time being. She would still have enough time to explain and apologize to Oliver for that, later.

Robert paled momentarily, his eyes briefly flickering over to Oliver before settling back on Felicity.  
Oliver couldn’t look at his father. Not after what Felicity just said. Even after everything his father had done to him so far, this felt like the hardest slap to his face. There wasn’t a way his father could've expressed more plainly what he thought about his own son than by trying to declare him dead when he was very much aware he was still alive. And even though Oliver didn’t want to admit it, the pain in his chest at his father’s move hurt like hell.  
The desire to just get up and leave became so big, he was about to just grab Felicity and get the hell out of the office, her plan be damned, when her calm and collected voice stopped him.  
“And since we’re on a rather small timetable here, given the minute you gave us before calling security,” Felicity snipped at Robert with a small, almost wicked smile on her lips. “we should get to the point as to why we’re here.” She sent Oliver another quick smile, this one a lot more compassionate and relaxed, before turning her attention back towards the man sitting opposite of them.

Felicity was about to lay out her plan of getting Oliver power again in the group of executives of Queen Consolidated so he could finally use that power and make all the decisions he was never allowed to, when Oliver himself suddenly chimed in from beside her.  
“Pay me out.”

It was the first time he had spoken ever since they set foot in Robert’s office. Both Felicity’s and his father’s shocked eyes met him at that. And while Felicity remained frozen, seeing the determination in Oliver’s eyes, his father started laughing again. So hard, that he threw his head back in his chair, the loud bellows echoing in the spacious room.

It was the first time in years, probably ever, that Oliver had made such a callous move against his father, but he was done playing games. The fact that he used to own shares of the company had been long forgotten on his mind, pushed aside for more important things back then. But now he was going to make damn sure he used that information to its full advantage. The fact that his father was so openly mocking him only fueled the extra amount of anger he needed.  
“I’m not joking around. I want you to pay me out. Pay me and I’ll gladly sign over the 25% of this company so you can do whatever the fuck you want with it. We both know I don’t care for it, anyway.”

Oliver’s serious tone and harsh words wiped the laugh off his father’s face momentarily. After the surprise encounter two days ago, this was the first real conversation he had with his father in more than 3 years.  
“And if I don’t? What are you going to do? Come back here and try to ruin Queen Consolidated from the inside or something? You just said it… you don’t even WANT to work for this company!” he sneered, trying to call bluff on Oliver’s words.

“Oh not me,” Oliver replied, and for the first time in years he actually felt able to smile a small, proud smile at his father. He finally had the upper hand over him. “But I’m sure guys like Ray Palmer would lick their fingers for a piece of this company.”  
That actually earned him another surprised look from Felicity. When she caught up with Oliver’s train of thought though, a proud smile slipped in place. He was finally standing up to his father and was using every trick in the book to get what he wanted.

Robert didn’t seem to try and hide his expressions any longer. Even Oliver could see the shock on his father’s face at the serious threat he just made. He could only hope it would work though, because as of just a few minutes ago he had no idea the conversation would make such a sudden turn.  
The longer both men stared at each other, the redder Robert’s face became. If it had been 5 years ago, Oliver would’ve been seriously worried his father might have a coronary. Now, he knew that he’d just hit a nerve with his threat.

“Your mother and sister would be ashamed of what you have become!” Robert suddenly roared at Oliver. “Blackmailing your own father to get money out of the family’s company that one day would have been yours anyway!”

 _Oh he did not just say that to Oliver!_  
Ready to fire a string of insults at Robert, Felicity was about to open her mouth when surprisingly, Oliver beat her to it.

“I am sure they are more ashamed of what you have been doing for years! YOU ruined this family, no one else!” he yelled back, rising out of his chair with an angry finger pointing in Robert’s direction, the vein in his neck throbbing scarily. Never before had Felicity seen him so angry and loud and she would have loved to let him go at his father some more, but she couldn’t risk having Oliver lose it and attack his father in his own office. Not with so much at stake for him.

Robert paled and flinched back slightly the moment Oliver shot up from his chair and leaned dangerously close to him over the desk.  
It took a lot out of Felicity in that moment to suppress a smile. Finally Oliver could let loose some of the bottled anger and hurt from more than 3 years and unleash it on the main person responsible for it.

But then Robert saw Oliver collecting himself again the moment Felicity’s hand landed on his biceps. With imminent danger seemingly off the table for a moment, he got up from his chair, rounded the desk and walked through the room. Felicity was almost certain they were about to get thrown out of the office when instead, Robert headed to a small bar in the corner of the room, pulled out a clear tumbler and poured himself a generous shot of whiskey. It wasn’t lost on her that it was barely past 11am, not that she’d comment on that man’s drinking habits. It just made her more aware and alert for the following conversation.

He took his time getting back behind his desk. With the tumbler casually dangling from his hand, Robert walked over to the window-front overlooking parts of the city, all under the watchful eyes of both Oliver and Felicity. The moment of silence gave Oliver the chance to collect himself after his outburst, at least enough to carry on a conversation without strangling his father.  
After a few minutes of not saying a word but staring out over the skyline of Starling City, Robert took a sip of his drink, turned on his heel and walked back behind his desk.

This time, he didn’t seem pale or concerned any longer. In fact, Felicity had a hard time reading the man’s stony features now at all. Other than when they stepped into the office, his face was now almost emotionless, even so when he looked over at his son sitting just two feet away from him. How someone could be so stone cold towards his own progeny absolutely baffled her. She didn’t knew her father but she was sure he’d at least have one single emotion playing on his features if he saw her now, after years of no contact, even if it was just annoyance.

The penetrating gaze Robert kept on them for minutes while casually sipping on his whiskey started to annoy her after a while. They weren’t here for a staring contest, there were important matters to be discussed.

Just when she was about to put an end on Robert’s silent charade, he beat her to it and spoke up.  
“Nice little job you got yourself there at Palmer Tech, isn’t it?” he almost mocked her, leisurely leaning back in his opulent office chair. “Didn’t know Palmer hired P.I.s now, too. Because how else could you have gotten hold of all these information?”

Oliver could feel the sudden tightness with which she squeezed his hand, but on the outside she still seemed awfully calm and collected. Not even her smile slipped while Robert threw insults at her. That wasn’t a feature he could pride himself with. But that small tightening of her fingers around his showed him she wasn’t as unaffected by his father as she seemed.  
“Is that hint of bitterness I’m hearing in your voice because I refused your offer to work for Queen Consolidated three years ago, or are just mad I’m sitting here right now and dare speaking to you in the way I do?”

Once again, Oliver’s head snapped around at her words. Ever since they stepped into his father’s office he felt like a spectator in a tennis match, merely able to look back and forth while Felicity and Robert went on at each other. But hearing that Felicity had been literally this close to start working for Queen Consolidated gave him his voice back for the second time since stepping into his father’s office.  
“They offered you a position at Queen Consolidated?” he asked, sounding almost dumbfounded.

Felicity looked over at him, her expression softening the moment their eyes met.  
“A few months after I started working for Palmer Tech.” she nodded.

“What, she didn’t even tell you?” Robert laughed menacingly, an evil grin on his face when he heard the conversation between the two.

“I never told him because I never even wasted a thought on accepting that ludicrous offer.” Felicity fired back, her features hardening the moment her head whipped back to the man sitting opposite of them, still twirling around that damn tumbler in his hand.

Ignoring the jab in his direction, Robert looked back at his son.  
“How much do you want? Come on... Amuse me.”  
The casual way he handled his drink and spoke to his son made Felicity terribly angry. He still believed this to be a giant joke. There were a million things she would’ve wanted to say, but since Robert was addressing Oliver, she didn’t want to take away his chance at replying himself. That, and that she still had no idea what Oliver’s plans were, now that he said he wanted to be paid out.

Leaning over to Oliver to let him know she could have her lawyers check on the company’s value to determine a fair amount, he stopped her whispering and sent her the tiniest hint of a smile to let her know he got it covered.  
“2 Million. And you and I both know that this is peanuts compared to what I’m legitimately entitled to.”

Robert looked completely stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting to hear that amount. After downing the rest of his whiskey, he placed the glass back on his desk before facing Oliver again.  
“Why not more? Why not squeeze the cash cow a little tighter, now that the ball seems to be in your hand for once?” he mocked him.

“Because I’m not my father.” Oliver stated so matter of factly and void of emotion that it stunned even Felicity speechless.

 

Oliver leaned back in his chair, his hand seeking out Felicity’s between their chairs. The moment he got hold of it, she could feel how much his hand was shaking. One quick glance over at him showed her how mentally drained and exhausted Oliver was after just these few minutes in his father’s office. The veins on his temples were pounding and deep lines had formed on his forehead. She knew they needed to wrap it up now quickly and get out of the office before Oliver lost it one way or another. And neither way needed to be in his father’s presence.

So she took over the conversation again.  
“I’ll have my lawyer get in touch with yours about all further details.”

She collected all the papers from his desk, carefully slipped them back in her folder and tucked it away in her purse before getting up, smothering down her skirt and grabbing Oliver’s hand again so they could get the hell out of that office.  
Since Robert didn’t seem to have anything to say, they didn’t wait for a reply but wordlessly made it to his closed office door.

Just when Oliver grabbed the handle, Felicity stopped and turned around once more, facing the man that had ruined most of Oliver’s life one last time.  
“Oh, and Mr.Queen?” she spoke with her calmest, most relaxed voice even though her fingers were still trembling from the energy buzzing through her. “Don’t ever set foot on our front step again or I will have you arrested for harassment and trespassing.”

For a second she could see Robert’s eyes flash with what looked like surprise followed by a good amount of anger. But as quickly as it appeared, it was gone, only to be replaced with the smirk she’d gotten to know from the man who sadly shared the same genes as Oliver. It was a superior smirk, one that suggested he knew very well how he was standing above everyone else. Too bad that didn’t apply for her.  
“Because contrary to what you might believe, you’re not the only person in Starling City with friends in high places.”  
And with that, she turned on her heel and followed Oliver out of the office, past a mean looking Isabel Rochev and into the elevators that would take them as far away from this man as humanly possible.

Oliver didn’t say a word during their elevator ride. He didn’t even say a word when they walked back the short distance to Palmer Tech where her car was still parked. When he still didn’t say a word on the entire drive back home though, Felicity started to become nervous.  
Had she overstepped an invisible line by scheduling this meeting? Under different circumstances she would have wanted to do it in weeks, not that early, and especially not with dropping all these bombs on Oliver about what she discovered. But with Robert basically thwarting her plans by showing up at their place, she knew they had to act fast. And up to the meeting, she was sure Oliver would see it the same, but seeing him wordlessly sitting next to her now, clearly lost in his own head, she started to question the whole encounter.

 

The moment the front door closed behind them though, Oliver was suddenly on her. She barely had time to shrug off her coat when he grabbed her hips, spun her around and pressed her into the wall beside her coat rack, attacking her lips with a fervor she hadn’t known from him before.  
“You were so fucking hot in my father’s office.” he growled between kisses to her neck and collarbone, pulled off his jacket and loosened his tie, throwing it haphazardly over his shoulder.

Not even Lucky excitedly barking and jumping around them could distract him. His hands were pulling on her blouse and skirt, frantically trying to get her undressed.  
“Oliver, we have a perfectly comfortable bed upstairs!” she protested with a helpless laugh and tried to steer him into the living room but he stopped her, caging her in between his arms.

“Don’t care. Right here, right now.”

“Oliver...”

He silenced her with a kiss, his hands working their way under the hem of her skirt, inching it up over her thighs.

The moment his fingers brushed her lace panties, a flick seemed to switch inside her. She started tearing at his shirt, frantically trying to get the buttons opened.  
He yanked her underwear down her legs, leaving them dangling at her feet. She tried to get his pants unbuckled but with their close proximity it was almost impossible for her to do. With a growl he removed one of his hands from her body, ripped open the fly of his pants and shoved it down his thighs.

As soon as his pants and boxers were out of the way, Felicity wrapped both legs around his waist. He pinned her between himself and the wall and roughly circled his hips against her, entering her with one deep thrust.  
“God, yes, Oliver!”

With his head resting on the crook of her shoulder he began furiously pounding into her.  
“So hot… so fucking hot…” he mumbled over and over, seemingly lost in his head while he went at her.

She couldn’t help the moans that left her body with each hard thrust that sent her higher up the wall of her hallway. Somewhere in the distance a picture tumbled off her shelf and Lucky still kept barking at them. But she didn’t register any of that. Only Oliver sending her higher and higher into the clouds of ecstasy.  
He’d never been so rough with her before, never so demanding, but she loved every second of it. Feeling an orgasm stronger than any of the ones Oliver had given her so far looming in the near distance, she pulled at his hair and made him look at her.

Small beads of sweat started to form on his forehead and his hair looked deliciously disheveled. His dress shirt just haphazardly pulled open while he otherwise remained dressed and yet she had never seen him more sexy.  
“I love you.” was the last thing she could rasp out before an orgasm crashed through her that made her legs shake.

It took him only seconds to follow her. With one last thrust he came deep inside her, his body shuddering while Felicity held him close.

 

The moment their breaths slowed down to normal and the loud pounding against the hallway had stopped, Lucky had also gotten considerably silent. The little dog now sat two feet away from them, taking in the scene in front of him with utter curiosity. It made Felicity chuckle softly.  
“Doesn’t it freak you out that Lucky keeps watching us every time we do this?”

Oliver grinned and looked over his shoulder at his best friend who still looked up at them, obviously trying to decipher what just had happened in front of him.  
“Right now I’m sure he’s more pissed we haven’t properly greeted him yet. But as long as he doesn’t start humping your carpet while watching us, I’m sure we’re fine.” he laughed softly, placed a sweet kiss on her temple and pulled out of her before setting her feet back on the ground.

 

After another round of lovemaking on the couch, this time without the hurry and fervor from earlier in the hallway, they snuggled up under the confines of her warm blanket. Lucky was busy munching away on his chewy treat while Felicity relaxed into Oliver's naked, sweaty chest, listening to his heartbeat slowly return back to normal.  
It was barely 3pm but she had no intention whatsoever to get up and do anything for the rest of the day.

“Aren’t you going to ask me why I only wanted two million from him? We both know the company is worth a thousand times more than that.” Oliver murmured into her hair after a stretch of silence between them. Up until now she hadn’t said a peep about that but he knew she must have been thinking.

“No.” she said and snuggled deeper into his side. He could feel the smile forming on her lips while her finger drew slow circles over his pecs. “I’m just proud you were finally able to stand up for yourself against your father. Even if you had asked for just a boring thank-you basket, I wouldn’t have questioned your decision.”

That’s why he loved her so much. No matter his decisions, she always supported him no questions asked. Even when she wasn’t in complete agreement with him about something, if he could explain his reasoning behind his decision, she supported him. Never before had he met a woman that carried that feature the way Felicity did.

  
A moment of silence fell between them again, only the crackle of the fireplace and Lucky’s chewing sounds the only noise in the room.  
“I think I’d like to visit my mother some day.”  
When Felicity lifted her head off his chest and looked up at him with a furrowed brow, he went to explain.  
“She at least deserves an apology from me for disappearing like I did. Then I can figure out how to feel about her. But she’s my mother, after all. And I need to know if she had a hand in it trying to declare me dead.”

Felicity could relate to that. If he wanted to visit his mom, then she would be the first person supporting him, especially if it turned out his mother also knew about Robert’s devious plans. After the way Oliver had reacted in his father’s office this morning she wasn’t sure if he’d survive hearing his own mother helped with these plans. And no matter how much she despised his parents, she just couldn’t imagine a Moira Queen being _that_ cruel to her own son.

“Not now, though.” he murmured and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close into his body again before turning them and caging her in underneath him. “Now I’d like to enjoy some more one on one time with my smart and sexy girlfriend.”

He peppered kisses down her neck, making her giggle slightly.  
“Smart and sexy? Sounds like a keeper. You should bring her around one day.” she giggled, letting out a squeal when Oliver started tickling her.

His mood was a thousand times lighter than it had been when they left Queen Consolidated just a few hours ago and Felicity prided herself knowing she had a hand in that. Now there were just a few other things left to take care of before Oliver never would have to worry about his troubled past again or the people that were in it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the tons and tons of kudos and lovely comments I get on every chapter from you guys! I know I don't say if often enough (and I barely have time to reply to any of the comments as it is, which I'm really sorry about!) but I'm thanking you guys for taking the time every week to write a few words. Even if it's just a short _'yay, another chapter'_ , letting me know you guys are excited to read this story is what gives me the energy to work on it every day.  
> With that said... see you next friday! :)


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey gang!  
> This chapter is a little longer than usual, but there simply was no way I could've split it up (especially since I've read a few funny complaints about me apparently ending almost every chapter on a cliffhanger :D #sorrynotsorry), so... enjoy! :)

When Thea basically invited herself over for coffee a few days later, right during an important week of exams, Oliver knew something must have happened. His sister didn’t reveal much on the phone other than that she wanted to come and visit if possible. So after sharing a quick wordless conversation with Felicity lying next to him in bed to make sure she was alright with it, he invited his sister over. Felicity even offered to make the drive and pick her up, but Thea assured them she had a travel buddy to go with and that she’d call as soon as she arrived in Starling City.

“Do you think it has something to do with your father?”

“It has everything to do with my father I’m sure.” Oliver nodded. “Thea would never leave to come visit me so close before an important exam. She cares too much for her grades just start skipping like that, especially when she could come on the weekend instead.”

“So what do you think happened?”

With a sigh, Oliver rubbed his forehead before sitting up in bed.  
“Let’s not wrack our brains about that now. She’s coming around tomorrow to tell us, we’ll take it from there then.”

 

Even though their evening before had ended uneventful after the stand-off with his father, Felicity was still on edge the next morning. A quick check out of her bedroom window didn’t show anything out of the ordinary though and even John had sent a text earlier letting them know the ominous car hadn’t been seen again.  
It all still didn’t help to calm her nerves.

But they both still had to get up for work, so she followed him downstairs for a cup of coffee before she had to get ready.

“I think I need to figure something out regarding my job.” Oliver began.

“How so?” she frowned. The last weeks since he’d started that job she hadn’t seen or heard him being bored by it. Quite the opposite, actually. But still his words made her frown.

“I mean, now that I’ve made such a brass move in my father’s direction, I don’t want to take any risks. And this job is still an illegal one in the eye of the law. As long as I’m not paying taxes, I can get in trouble. So I thought about my options.” he shrugged casually.

His words instantly relaxed her tense shoulders again. Finding a solution for that was an easy one.  
“I could start a company and employ you.” she offered with a smile. It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought about that before, but the topic somehow never came up with all the more urgent matters at hand.

“Or I could start my own.”

Her surprised eyes met his baby blue pools. Out of every different scenario she had played in her mind, that one had crossed her, too, once or twice. But since Oliver technically had been living in hiding with no real address or even an ID to his name, she didn’t want to pressure him by suggesting to get a physical address listed and get all his documents renewed. Now that he had both his ID and a bank account to his name, things would be a lot easier.  
That Oliver wanted to go full on by starting his own business right away, that still surprised her to no end.  
“Uh, yeah… I mean, if you feel comfortable making that step, of course! It would be the easiest solution, actually. We could get in touch with Caitlin about it.” Felicity offered with a shrug. Oliver knew that her friend was a lawyer running her own firm in Central City and since he had no idea what steps to take to make an own business happen, her offer sounded like a great idea. As if reading his mind, she continued with her train of thought. “She’ll be able to get us all the proper business licenses and permits so we wouldn’t have to think of all that.”

Oliver nodded in agreement.  
They were really going to do this. After such a turbulent week for him, considering the rather boring 3 years he had before that, he now had a new permanent home address, a bank account, stood up to his father for the first time ever and was about to start his own business, all within a span of just a few days. To say his last week had been wild would be the understatement of the century.

 

The following morning, Oliver was up and running way before her. Just when she left the shower, he returned from his morning run with John, heading straight for the bathroom she just vacated.

“When will Thea arrive?” she called into the bathroom while getting dressed for work, loud enough that Oliver could hear her over the running water.

“She said they’d leave after breakfast, so she should be here around noon.” he called back.

Noon. That would give her enough time to make it through half a day of work and let Oliver and his sister have at least an hour of alone time before she’d join them. She would’ve loved to skip the entire work day but with the workload slowly beginning to pick up lately, she really couldn’t afford to do that. Luckily, Ray hadn’t commented on the rather large number of vacation days she had been taken this year already. It wasn’t that she was skipping work, but compared to the previous years she had been working for Palmer Tech, she now had taken more days in one month than she had taken in all the years prior combined.  
So half a day at work had to do.

With no clients lined up for the day, Oliver took the time to stock up on food before Thea was about to arrive. With Felicity out of the house for a few hours, he suddenly started to feel nervous. She had told him that it was okay for her to invite Thea in; hell, she was even the one that suggested it in the first place, but it still felt weird to receive visitors while she was out of the house. Even if it was someone as normal as his sister. The fact that he now officially lived there probably needed a little more time to fully sink in.

He was just letting Lucky out into the snowy backyard, when a knock on the front door made him spin around. With quick steps he made it to the door, yanked it open and stared into his sister’s strained smiling face.  
“Hey Ollie.” she called and took the final step up the stairs to wrap her brother in a tight hug. Ever since Felicity set up the meeting at her campus coffee shop, they had only seen each other once. The rest of the time was limited to talking on the phone and the occasional text message. But seeing her in the flesh, in Starling City at that, put a huge smile on his face.

“Speedy, so good to see you.”  
With another tight hug he pulled her into the house and closed the door behind them. By then, Lucky had caught up on the commotion at the front door, too, and barreled through the living room, his small, wet feet slipping on the hardwood floors every now and then.  
“Someone’s eager to meet you, it seems.” Oliver chuckled and took Thea’s coat and bag so she could properly greet the dog.

They had only met twice, but just like he did with Felicity, Lucky seemed to instantly sense which people he could trust and be open with.  
But even through the overly friendly greetings, the strained look on his sister’s face when he opened the door wasn’t lost on him.

When she got up and let him lead her through the apartment, taking in the comfy place, he thought about her call from the morning before and how she was in Starling City now, even though important exams were lining up the following days.  
Seated in front of the fireplace with both a coffee in hand, he turned to face her.  
“This is a nice place.” Thea mused and looked around the living room. “Comfy.”

That it was, but mostly thanks to Felicity making it her own place way before he ended up there. Still he could see what his sister meant. Even though this place wasn’t even a 10th from the mansion they both grew up in, but still felt a hundred times warmer and more welcoming than his family’s home ever did.

“It is,” he nodded, “but I’m sure you didn’t come here to talk about Felicity’s choice of interior decoration.”

Thea looked around the room once more before casually leaning back into the couch cushions. “Dad called me. Two days ago.”

That made Oliver’s back went ramrod straight. Though he had anticipated something like that when his sister called the morning before, hearing it confirmed now sent a new shiver down his spine.  
“What did he want?”

“The usual stuff,” she shrugged. “Insulting me about my major, trying to guilt-trip me to start working for QC,... you know the drill.”  
The casual way that his sister spoke with was something that had always baffled Oliver. Ever since she was old enough that their father started demanding things from her, trying to form her to his interest just like he did with Oliver, Thea always fought back with claws and teeth bared, but on the outside she seemed utterly unaffected by their father’s harsh criticism or vile words. And where Oliver always relented and obeyed Robert’s wishes, Thea had been the resilient one; the little firecracker that often did the exact opposite of what her father wanted, just to spite him. But now, after several years of fighting her father, Oliver could see that it started to wear his little sister out.  
“But what was new was the fact that he started asking about you.”

His eyes bore into hers, willing her to elaborate on that.  
“What did he say?”

Asked me if I had seen or spoken to you lately.” Thea shrugged once more. “I asked him if he had hit his head lately because no one had seen you in years. He mumbled some shit I didn’t listen to afterwards before I hung up on him.”

She hadn’t told him that they were back in touch. For once, his father had no idea what his children were doing behind his back.  
“You lied to him about me?”

Thea looked at her brother completely dumbfounded, one eyebrow quirking up.  
“Of course I lied to him, Ollie. He’s never been honest with me, so why should I start now with him? Especially when it comes to you?”

Yeah, that kind of made sense. And it helped him in some way, too, because he didn’t want his father to know he and Thea were back in touch again. There were still too many possibilities his father could intervene.  
“Felicity and I have been at Queen Consolidated two days ago.” he began, trying to explain why his father must have contacted her all of a sudden and started asking about Oliver.  
“She found out I’m still holding the shares dad had given me years ago. I told him to pay me out so he can stick his 25% up his ass and be done with me.”

Now that got a reaction out of his otherwise hard-to-impress sister. Wide eyes stared at him, quickly changing into an impressed face.  
“Lemme guess… big ol’ daddy didn’t take that too well?” she almost smirked.

“Not really. Wanted to kick us out at first but then Felicity got him to listen to her. Actually, she had done most of the work, I just told him to pay me out when she brought the shares up in the conversation.”

The impressed look stayed on Thea’s face for longer than he’d ever seen it.  
“That woman is doing you good. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you stand up for yourself against dad before.”

At his sister’s praise, his cheeks turned a adorable shade of red. And her words were true. Felicity had changed him so much in the few months the two knew each other, or she at least encouraged him to want to change himself. And though part of him was frightened for the can of worms they might open with their actions, the other part was just ecstatic to finally be able to live the life he was never granted.

Oliver told Thea in detail about the meeting with his father and how he showed up earlier at their front door. She wasn’t surprised to hear that, but the anger in her welled up higher and higher.  
Just when Thea broached the topic of Laurel, the front door opened and Felicity stepped inside. Lucky immediately barreled towards her but Oliver and Thea stayed put on the couch. She had a smile on her lips when she stepped into the living room, but Oliver could see that she was clearly checking out what kind of vibe was out between him and his sister and if she was interrupting anything.

With her purse discarded on the coffee table she made her way over to the couch. Thea immediately got up to greet her with a hug, something that completely took her by surprise.  
“Hey guys,” she said over Thea’s shoulder, her eyes focused on Oliver. “I’m not interrupting, am I?”

“Not at all,” Thea smiled and pulled back, giving her room to give Oliver a quick kiss and take a seat on the couch with them. “Ollie was just telling me what he was going to do about Laurel, now that you’ve got our father handled.”

“Thea!” Oliver angrily snapped from beside her, clearly not in the mood to discuss his ex-fiancée with his girlfriend and his sister then and there.

Felicity's eyes went wide momentarily, her lips forming a surprised O while she watched Oliver and his sister go at each other. Seeing the two siblings in a heated discussion was something she hadn’t witnessed yet and when she entered the apartment, the atmosphere seemed a lot friendlier than just a few seconds ago. Apparently, the two Queen siblings had very different opinions on how to proceed with Laurel.  
Though she had to admit, she was curious about Oliver’s take on all things Laurel, too. Up until that moment they hadn’t spoken about his ex-fiancée yet and what _\- and if -_ he planned to do about her. Of course she hadn’t only looked up what Robert Queen had been up to but Laurel Lance as well.

But of course, Thea wasn’t about to drop it.  
“What? You’re going to do something about Laurel, too, right? That bitch has been getting away with all the shit she pulled for far too long, as it is.”

Since his sister had spoken the exact words Felicity had in her head, she was now curious to see Oliver’s reaction to it. And what she saw didn’t make her happy. Not one bit.  
The angry vein that had been prominent during the visit at his father’s office started to form on his forehead again while he visibly grated his teeth. It took him a long moment to come up with any answer at all and based on the unwavering expectant look his sister was giving him, he probably only answered because there was no way she would drop the topic otherwise.

“Thea,” he began with a sigh, dropped his head and rubbed his temples for a second before looking up at her again. Felicity was completely forgotten at that moment, not that she bothered. She wasn’t about to interrupt that important moment between the two, especially not since it would be highly insightful for her, too. It would give her an idea how to proceed with the topic she had yet to broach with him.  
“I’m not going to confront Laurel. Not after all these years and certainly not with her father still in the picture. What good would it do? Neither she nor I would benefit from the unnecessary drama that, in the end, wouldn’t change a thing.”

“You can’t be serious! After everything that woman has done to you? After all she’s taken from you you’re just going to drop it like that?”  
The disbelief in Thea’s voice was loud and clear. It mirrored Felicity’s thoughts on the matter and she was thankful that at least one of the two Queens shared her sentiments.

“Speedy, I just want to let it all rest and not rip open old wounds. If not for everyone involved, then at least for myself. I’ve spent enough time sealing them shut.” he sighed and for the first time in a while Felicity could see that he actually looked tired and drained every time he had to bring up the past. That hadn’t happened in a long time.

“But what about Ariel? If not for yourself, then at least do it for her.” Thea pressed on, her voice a lot thinner and weaker than she normally sounded. It was clear the young woman still hurt just as much as Oliver did about the loss of her niece.  
“Your daughter at least deserves to have the woman that killed her punished in some way. How can you let her get away with that, now that you have the chance to do something against her?”

“And what chance do I have, Thea?” Oliver suddenly snapped back, aggravated. “What’s different now compared to four years ago? Do you really think the police will believe me now, when they clearly didn’t years ago? Or that evidence now suddenly won’t disappear, or that the barman even remotely remembers Laurel’s face or that evening? Nothing would chance, speedy, northing! Only I would have to do the same shit again when I exactly know the outcome firsthand. And I’m too tired for that. I just want my peace and want Ariel to have hers, too.”

That speech shut Thea up. Felicity had stayed quiet through their entire conversation, feeling like an intruder on something she wasn’t supposed to witness. But now that she heard Oliver’s take on things, saw the devastation on both their faces, she knew what to do. She wasn’t going to disregard Oliver’s wishes; she heard them loud and clear. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t do something about it, either.

She hated having to break the silence in the room, especially with the tension still so palpable. But since neither Oliver nor Thea made a move to say anything, or even get up, she cleared her throat.  
“Is it okay if I leave you guys for a bit? I forgot something I had to handle and really don’t want it having to wait until tomorrow. And it seems you two have a bit more to talk about.”

She was evasive as hell and Oliver definitely caught up on it, but thankfully - or because his sister was present and there were a thousand other things running through his brain - he didn’t called her out on it. Instead, he nodded once.  
“Sure, but don’t take too long, alright?”

With a relieved smile - probably because she was able to get away without being interrogated further - Felicity kissed his temple, sent Thea a small, supportive smile and was out the door faster than Oliver could whip his head around.

 

On her drive through the city Felicity called her friend Caitlin again. She hated having to ask for another favor, but if she wanted her plan to work, Caitlin’s help would be inevitable. With the amount of stuff she was unloading on her lawyer friend lately, she made a mental note to take her to dinner as soon as she and Oliver made it to Central City again.  
When only her assistant picked up though, Felicity couldn’t do more than leave a note for Caitlin to call back as soon as she got time, and to hope her plan would actually work without speaking to her lawyer first.

 

The drive to her destination didn’t take too long. Actually, she had memorized the address a while ago already.  
Getting into the elevator unseen wasn’t an easy feat, but since two other couples were just entering the building, she simply tagged along in hopes of going unnoticed. When the couples made a beeline for the stairs, she took the opportunity and hopped into the waiting elevator without the bellman noticing.

On her way upstairs she took a few calming breaths. She knew she was taking a major risk with what she was about to do, not only because she hadn’t been able to have a talk with her lawyer prior, but also because Oliver had no idea about all this. But after the exchange she had witnessed between the two Queen siblings and hearing Oliver’s take on things, she knew she had to at least do something.  
So she took another deep breath the moment the elevator doors opened and made her first tentative step out into the hallway, her eyes set on apartment 303 at the end of the corridor.

The two apartment doors she passed were dead silent but from the one she was heading to came soft noises, probably from a TV. Well at least someone was at home.  
Felicity quickly looked down herself to make sure she looked presentable, even though that shouldn’t have cared much. Not for this kind of visit. But still she couldn’t help but feel like she wanted to leave an impression.  
With her skirt straightened out and her hair firmly in place, she lifted her hand and rapped her knuckles on the door twice. For a moment she thought about knocking a little harder but then the music from inside the apartment stopped and footsteps neared.

And then the door opened and Felicity found herself face to face with the one person she wanted to punch the most. Laurel Lance. It took a lot out of her to restrain herself and keep her composure. Even more so when the woman’s eyes quickly changed from surprise to angry slits. It didn’t surprise Felicity one bit that Laurel apparently knew exactly who was standing in front of her at that moment. It just confirmed for her that Robert Queen and Laurel Lance were still in contact.  
Good. That would make things for her a lot easier.

“You,” Laurel spat at her and glanced over Felicity's shoulder into the hallway, trying to figure out if she came alone. “What do you want? Did Ollie send you? Doesn’t he have the guts to show up here in person, after hiding away for four years?”

Completely unfazed by the venom the woman was spewing at her, Felicity looked straight ahead at Laurel, the tiniest hint of a smile playing on her lips. This woman clearly had no idea what was coming to her.  
“Nice to know you already know who I am. Saves me the hassle introducing myself.”  
Laurel's expression turned even more angry, so Felicity didn’t waste any time continuing her speech.  
“Now, do you want me to do this out in the hallway for everyone to hear, or would you rather we speak a little more privately?”

“You seriously expect me to invite you into my place?”

_Oh I’m going to wipe that smug look right off your face._  
“Oliver’s place, actually. And I don’t care where you want me to tell you what I have to say. I was just offering to do it behind closed doors for your benefit. But since you don’t seem to care, …” she shrugged and was about to continue when Laurel hesitantly opened the door and made room so she could step inside.

Two steps into the place, she took a short moment to look around and take in the room. And even though she knew this once was Oliver’s place, she couldn’t imagine him in these four walls. Not by a long shot. The whole futuristic interior design looked so far from what Felicity would imagine Oliver in that it made her shudder. If this had always been the interior in this place it was just another reminder in what a golden cage Oliver had lived all these years.  
Turning around, she saw Laurel keeping her angry eyes on her, her arms crossed over her chest, hovering near the closed door.  
“So say what you have to say and then get going. I don’t have all day for this.”

Plastering another fake smile on her lips, Felicity made sure to take her time, just to spite the woman a little more.  
“Oh this isn’t going to take very long. It’s quite simple, actually. I want you to move out of Oliver’s apartment.”

Now that got the other woman’s attention.  
“Excuse me?”

“You heard me just fine. I want you to move out, the sooner the better.”

A disbelieving laugh left the brunette woman’s mouth. She was clearly amused by Felicity’s words. But surely not for much longer.  
“I’m not joking,” Felicity continued. “You and I both know whose name is on the title deed for this apartment, and it sure ain’t yours. Four years is more than enough time you have spent in an apartment that you have no right to stay in, don’t you think? Especially considering that Oliver spent more than the last 3 years out on the street, all the while you schmoozed up in his place with no care in the world. This is going to end now.”

For a long time, Laurel didn’t say anything back. Felicity could see the gears turning in the woman’s head, processing what she’d just been told.  
“That’s ridiculous. Has Ollie set you up with this? He can come and discuss this with me in person.” she snapped.

Felicity was unfazed by the anger aimed towards her, ignoring the string of demands Laurel suddenly fired at her.  
“Here’s how it will go… you’re going to pack your stuff and leave this apartment within the next 4 weeks. I figure that’s enough time to find another place for you to stay. You can leave the keys on the counter, we’re going to have a locksmith replace locks in this place, anyway.”

“You’re insane,” Laurel snapped and headed for the front door. But before she could pull it open, Felicity made sure the woman understood perfectly fine the full extent of the situation.

“Well it’s either that, or I’m going to make sure the whole world will find out what you did to Oliver’s daughter.”

That got Laurel’s attention once again. Her head snapped around, eyes wide with shock before turning to angry slits again. Felicity could see the sudden fear in the woman’s eyes and how she quickly masked her features - or at least tried to.  
“You’re lying.”

“You know I’m not.” Felicity shrugged casually, making sure her next words were spoken as calmly as possible. “And I’m sure you also know that I know exactly what happened. And how your father covered everything up to save your sorry ass. But that’s the thing. I don’t give a damn about your ass, and I not only have evidence of what you did and where you’ve been before picking up Ariel. I also have proof that your father bribed several cops and made your medical report disappear to save you from being sued for vehicular manslaughter under the influence. The media would have a field day with that, don’t you think?”

“Out. Now! Or I’ll have you sued for trespassing and slander!” Laurel suddenly snapped, an angry but slightly shaky manicured finger pointing at the closed front door.

Felicity didn’t hesitate to step out of the apartment, she had said everything she wanted to say. Well, almost.  
Leaving a business card on the side board by the door, she took another step into the hallway. Laurel was about to slam the door into her back when Felicity stopped once again and turned to face the woman one last time. “Four weeks. And don’t think you can kick me around like you did with Oliver years ago. I’ll out you to the media faster than you could blink. And just like your father, I have ressources, too, to make sure evidence won’t suddenly disappear.” Pointing to the black business card, she continued, “My lawyer will be happy to assist you should you have any more questions.”

Forcing to keep the smile on her lips, Felicity turned and headed to the elevators without a glance back. On the inside, she was shaking with anger and nervous energy. This had been harder than she’d first guessed, especially keeping the anger at bay and trying to stay unaffected by the other woman’s vile words.  
The moment the elevator doors closed, she sagged against the back panel and let out a breath she had been holding the entire time.

 

On her way home Felicity got a call from Caitlin. After quickly explaining the situation to the her friend, Caitlin assured her to take care of things and keep her in the know should Laurel try and make contact with her. With the way Laurel had reacted Felicity highly doubted it, but at least she knew her lawyer had her back.  
It made the drive home a little more bearable.

She had been gone for less than an hour but Thea and Oliver were already at the front door hugging each other when she parked the car and got out.  
“You have to leave already?”  
She was disappointed she didn’t have more time with Oliver’s sister, especially since the women barely had had time to get to know each other.

“Yeah, I really need to get back. But I already invited myself over to dinner some time next week.” Thea grinned proudly and pulled Felicity into a hug.

“You’re always welcome here.” Felicity smiled after pulling back, the worry about the conversation she was about to have with Oliver momentarily forgotten.  
“We even have a spare guest room you could use, so you wouldn’t have to worry about sleeping arrangements.”

Oliver vaguely remembered hearing the almost same offer from her months ago as well, only with a totally different meaning. Now they were officially living together, he had a good friend living right next door, he was about to start his own business and called the most amazing young woman his girlfriend. Talk about progress.

As soon as Thea's car had rounded the corner, they both went inside.  
“Did you guys have a nice talk?”  
“Where have you been?”  
They simultaneously began speaking. With a soft laugh, he urged her to go first.

“So did you guys talk? Thea seemed a lot more relaxed just now than she was when I left you two.”

“Oh, that’s Thea. Her temper obviously hasn’t changed in the years we’ve been apart. But I like it about her. She never beats around the bush, tells you exactly how she sees it. And she doesn’t take bullshit from anyone, which probably is the main reason my father could never get ahold of her like he did with me.” he shrugged with a small smile, relaxing back into the couch cushions while Felicity took the seat opposite of him.

“Did you guys figure out what your father wanted from her?”

“Obviously just snoop around. And with anyone else I would’ve been worried but Thea straight out lied to him when he asked her about me.” he chuckled softly.  
“So where have you been?” Oliver suddenly changed the topic. “I’ve missed you. And Thea would’ve loved to chat with you for a bit, as well.”

She fidgeted with her fingers in her lap for a second before deciding to get it all out before things could get worse. If anything, the damage was done already.  
_God please don’t let him get too mad._

“I visited Laurel.”

Wide, shocked eyes met hers. For a long moment, no one said a word and while Felicity patiently waited for him to say something, anything, her nerves skyrocketed. This was either a brilliant move, or the most stupid thing she’d ever done.  
“What? Why?” he almost whispered.

Leaning forward, right into his personal space, she went to explain.  
“I get what you were saying to Thea. That you want to keep your peace and not stir things up with Laurel or her family that in the end wouldn’t change anything but only cause more trouble. I understand and respect that, Oliver. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t do anything to make her pay. Which is exactly what I did.”

The color completely drained from his face at her words. He looked ready to pass out.  
“What did you do?”

Did he really fear she would go behind his back?  
“I visited her to let her know she had exactly 4 weeks to move out of your apartment, otherwise we’ll have her removed forcefully. And since you are listed as the property owner and not her I figured she knew her time was up. Didn’t go without a fight though.” Felicity grumbled the last part.

“What?”

“Not in the literal sense.” she smiled. “She called bullshit so I told her I knew about her little drinking problem and what she had done to your daughter. And what her father had done to all the evidence after that. Told her I’d go to the press with the story should she not move out.”

When Oliver was about to open his mouth and say something, she stopped him.  
“Don’t worry, I won’t. It was enough the wipe the smug look off her face and make her realize I wasn’t bullshitting her. I left her Caitlin’s business card and told her to get in touch with my lawyer should she have any more questions.”

She could see the thoughts running through his mind at that, all the worries becoming more and more clear on his face.  
“You shouldn’t have done that, Felicity. Not without my knowledge. What if she goes to her father? What if she goes to my father? This won’t do us any good.”

“Oliver,” she began and took a seat right next to him, one of his hands firmly squeezed between her palms. “Please don’t worry so much, everything will be alright.”

“How can you know that?” he shook his head with a sigh.

“Because I have all the evidence to put both Laurel and her father behind bars for a long time. Because my lawyer’s got our back. Because I could see in Laurel’s eyes that she believed I would truly out her to the press if she kept doing this to you. The least dangerous thing we could do was getting your apartment back, and that’s exactly what I’ve done. I haven't made an empty threat to her, Oliver. I gave her the chance to decide between two outcomes, a luxury you hadn't been granted back then.”

“But I don’t even want to live there any longer.”

“So sell it.” she offered with a shrug. “Anything is better than letting that bloodsucking witch live there for any day longer.”

With the way she growled the last part, Oliver looked up and studied her face. For the first time since they started talking, he actually looked concerned for a moment, carefully looking her over.  
“She didn’t hurt you, did she?”

“No,” she brushed him off with a warm smile. “Only tried spitting her verbal venom at me. But she did know who I was the moment she opened the door, so I’m sure your father at least must have spoken to her about us recently.”

With another deep breath, Oliver nodded his head once, obviously more to himself than to her.  
“Alright, so now we wait?”

“I’ve given her four weeks to move out. So she either gets in touch with Caitlin in the next weeks, or we’ll have her removed from the premises by February 10th. That’s still up to her.”  
  


When Oliver pulled her into a hug and slid her onto his lap, Felicity let out a surprised squeal.  
“I’m sorry you had to deal with her. If it had been up to me, I would’ve made sure you two never met. I don’t want to give her any chance to poison your life.”

“Oh Oliver,” Felicity sighed and pulled back from their embrace to look him right in the eyes, her hands wrapped around his scruffy cheeks. “Nothing could poison my life that’s so full of love from you. It’s just not possible.”  
With a smile, she leaned into him and peppered his lips with sweet little kisses. She could feel his strong and steady heartbeat against her chest. It wasn’t racing, not even beating faster than usual, something that instantly reassured her that she had done the right thing, even if for once she’d technically gone behind Oliver’s back.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey gang!  
> I know, it's been a while and some of you are disappointed this story hasn't been updated in 4 weeks and I'm truly sorry for that. But some stuff in my private life has come up that made it impossible for me to continue writing on this story for a good while. And believe me, it annoyed me as much as it did you. Probably more. :D
> 
> I'm still not fully back to my normal schedule, but I'll try my best to get the next chapters posted regularly again. After some people expressed their opinions in the comments that Laurel might get away with things too easily, I revised my story a bit and changed up some things - because you guys are absolutely right. I had planned her to only have a side part in the story, but since her character had so much negative impact on Oliver's life, I realized that letting her off the hook like that wouldn't be enough -- which, in turn, lengthened this story by another chapter (at least, so far). So thank yourself for that! :D

Sleep didn’t come easily for Oliver that night. Too many things were running through his mind. He wasn’t mad at Felicity for what she’d done, but he couldn’t say he was happy about it either. He knew her intentions had been genuine and that she’d wanted to help him, but what he’d said to his sister hours ago was true. If it had been about him he never would’ve approached Laurel, at least not in the near future. Just thinking about seeing that woman again made him angry. But of course Felicity was right with what she did, too. Laurel shouldn’t be allowed to live in an apartment that wasn’t hers, keeping on living like she’d done nothing wrong.  
And still he had no idea what to do about the situation.

 

Their morning started out somewhat silent between them. Oliver had no idea how to broach the topic and Felicity seemed a little lost in her head herself, so neither said anything.  
When he dressed up for his morning run with John, she gave him a quick kiss but didn’t say anything else.

John seemed to pick up on Oliver’s mood the moment they headed out, though he kept his mouth shut until halfway into their route.  
“Everything alright? You’re awfully quiet this morning.”

Oliver didn’t reply at first. It didn’t really surprise him that his friend picked up on his mood and instantly called him out on it, though it was still new to him to talk about things with a friend. Even after a few months he still had a hard time doing that.  
“Felicity and I had a little situation last night.”

That at least got John’s attention. He didn’t stop his jog but looked over his shoulder to Oliver, an almost surprised look on his face.  
“About what?”

“She went to visit my ex-fiancée without my knowledge.”

When John kept looking at him, Oliver elaborated further, trying to explain with as little words as possible about what she had done.  
After he’d laid it all out, John was silent for a moment as if to ponder Oliver’s words.  
“Yeah well, I admit that hasn’t been the smartest move but this is Felicity we’re talking about here, Oliver. That woman loves you. I highly doubt she was trying to harm you in any way.”

“I know that, John,” Oliver sighed and hang his head while keeping up with his friend. “But still she took that decision off my hands. I would’ve faced Laurel myself, eventually. Just not so soon.”

John spared him with a disbelieving look.  
“Really? Because right now you look awfully content to keep things the way they are.”

“Everyone makes it sound like that’s a bad thing.” Oliver huffed beside him.

“Not a bad thing. The way I see it, Felicity was trying to give you a push in the right direction and get things handled as quickly as possible so you wouldn’t have to deal with it again, in a few months.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you’re right. But even though her intentions had been good, she should’ve talked to me first about her plans.”

John quirked an eyebrow at him over his shoulder while resuming his pace.  
“Would you have tried to talk her out of it?”

“Of course.”

“Well then, there you have your answer.” John shrugged. “Maybe you just need to trust her a little more.”

“Or maybe she needs to trust me that I can handle things on my own.”

That stopped John dead in his tracks, his breath coming in puffy, foggy clouds in the cold morning air.  
“Again, Oliver, this is Felicity we’re talking about here. That woman trusts you more than anyone else in this world. She let you into her apartment when you were practically a stranger, helped you without question time and time again, even when I questioned her sanity at times. This is not about trust issues, it’s about the fact that you are being pushed into a direction you’re not comfortable heading just yet. Just like your father treated you for many years.”

Oliver had no idea what to say to that, so he kept his mouth shut and just stared at his friend. He hated to admit it, but that were the exact reasons he had barely slept that last night. The more he thought about what Felicity had done, the more he felt like someone went behind his back, again, making decisions for him, again, just like it had been done years ago. And if Felicity had taught him one thing in the last months, then that he was his own man, capable of making his own decisions without having to fear about anything.

Looking up at his friend, he knew just what to do.  
“I need to talk to her.”

A small, knowing smile formed on his friend’s lips. Taking a step into Oliver’s direction, John patted him on the shoulder.  
“That, my friend, is the smartest thing you’ve said all morning.” he nodded, turned around and went on with their run, not bothering to wait for Oliver.

 

Felicity was sitting on the couch with a mug of coffee in her hand and Lucky in her lap when he got home. He could see the apprehension on her face the moment he stepped into the living room, as if she expected to be scolded in any way. When he smiled warmly at her though, all the tension on her face vanished.  
“I’ll take a quick shower.” he smiled and sprinted upstairs. The 10 minutes alone would give him the chance to figure out what to say to her.

She was still sitting in the same spot when he came back downstairs, though Lucky wasn’t in her lap any longer. Grabbing her empty mug on his way through the living room, he refilled it and poured himself one, too, before heading back to the couch.  
“Thank you.” she smiled up at him when he handed her the coffee before taking a seat next to her.  
“When do you have to leave for work this morning?” she asked him between sips, trying to sound casual.

“I’m meeting the Brewers at 10am. They just bought the house at the end of the street, right next to Mr.Fitch.”

That seemed to pique her interest.  
“Hadn’t that house been put on the market just a few weeks ago?”

Oliver nodded.  
“They moved in a few days ago. Mr.Fitch must have told them about my work because they approached me and asked if I could do some remodeling in their place.”

A wide smile spread on her lips at that.  
“So you landed yourself a new client? One that moved here just a few days ago? That’s awesome, Oliver.”

Her unwavering pride in him, even for something so little like a new possible client, made his heart skip a beat. John was right, she truly loved and supported him. Which reminded him he wanted to do more than just chit chat with her before she had to leave for work.  
After a moment of silence, he took a deep breath and stared down into his coffee mug.  
“I want to go and visit Laurel.” he told her with a soft voice.

He could feel the moment her surprised eyes snapped up to him. She clearly didn’t expect to hear that. Before she could say something though, he beat her to it and explained further.  
“I’m thankful that you’ve been handling things so far, but I can’t let that sit unsolved with her. I at least have to pay her a visit myself.”  
When she opened her mouth to say something, he stopped her and took her hand in his, rubbing his thumb slowly over her knuckles while he spoke.  
“Not because I think you made the wrong decision, Felicity. It may have been faster than I’d liked, but in the end you’re right. And so is Thea. Laurel needs to be put in her place. But you can’t be the one doing it. It makes it look like I didn’t have the guts to face her on my own and sent you instead. So I’m going to see her and talk to her.”

His speech didn’t manage to cheer up her mood, but at least she seemed to understand his reasoning. With a small, weak smile she nodded at him before getting up from the couch to get ready for work.  
Just before she could round the corner and head upstairs, Oliver called after her.  
“Hey… I love you.”

This time, a warm, genuine smile graced her lips.  
“I love you, too.”

 

After Felicity left for work and Lucky got his morning walk, Oliver headed over to the new neighbors down the street, even though his mind was occupied with the upcoming visit at his ex-fiancée’s.  
The dreaded visit clouded his mind so much during his appointment that he almost missed to take notes of all the additions Mrs.Brewer wanted to get done. He needed this job more than all the others, because it was the first one he had landed himself, and not with Felicity’s help. There was no way he’d let that slip through his fingers. Especially not for someone like Laurel Lance.

 

Since Felicity didn’t pick up when he tried to reach her, he sent her a quick text message shortly before heading out. Dressed in jeans and a henley, he gave Lucky a quick cuddle, picked up his phone and coat and made his way out. Taking the subway so publicly, especially alone, was still very foreign to him but this time he traveled with a goal in mind, no longer caring if anyone could find him. His family knew of his existence by now, anyway, most probably the woman he was about to meet, as well.

Right in front of the building he stopped and looked up at it for a long while. Four years it had been since he’d last been inside that building and the last time he left it, the remnants of his daughter had been packed away by the woman that should have become her step-mother. To say his gut was churning was a huge understatement.

He had no idea how Felicity had managed to avoid the concierge, but he made sure to use the side entrance to the building and do exactly that. That is, if the security code for his apartment still was the same, of course.

Taking the steps up to the third floor, he gave himself a mental pep talk and some more time to get a grip on his thoughts. There were a couple scenarios how the following minutes could play out.  
Laurel couldn’t be home at all, or she could’ve company. It had been four years since he last saw her in person, after all, and he was well aware how easily that woman was able to move forward, even with him still in the picture back then. So the possibility of running into someone else than her was there.  
But of course she could also try and have him removed from the building the moment he’d face her. And even though the place was still rightfully his, he didn’t want to cause any trouble and get police involved, so he hoped Felicity’s visit had left enough of an impression on her that she didn’t consider that move.

Realizing he was standing right in front of the door that he once used to call his home, he took another deep breath and tried to focus himself.  
But knowing the woman that ruined so much in his life was currently walking around inside the place, a place he once used to share with her, filled his stomach with dread. But just like Felicity had pushed him out of his comfort zone with visiting his father at QC, he needed to push himself out of it with Laurel.

Not willing to stall this any longer, he rapped his knuckles firmly on the door and then waited to face the woman he hadn’t seen in four years.

The mere seconds that it took her to loudly remove the deadbolt and open the door seemed like a lifetime to him. But eventually, the brunette woman appeared in the doorway, her eyes going wide at the sight in front of her.  
“Ollie?” Genuine surprise flashed on her face for a moment before she quickly masked it with one of annoyance. Her hand immediately went up on the doorsill, as if to visibly block his path from entering the place. Not that he had any intentions to do so. “I would say it’s a surprise seeing you right now, but after that performance of your little mistress the night before I don’t think I can say _‘surprised’_ would be the correct term to use.”

“Felicity is not my mistress.” he grated out with clenched teeth, his hands balling to fists at his sides. Wow, he hadn’t even managed a formal greeting and was already in a rage. He really needed to get a grip on his emotions fast, or else the situation would go out of hand quicker than he’d ever expected. And just at that moment he wished Felicity by his side, with her calming effect and her unwavering tranquility.

“I don’t give a damn what you call her, Ollie. You didn’t even have the balls to show up here yourself and instead you sent your blonde little pinscher to take care of your dirty work.” she snapped.

Well, she clearly hadn’t lost her arrogance over the years, that much was obvious after just mere minutes of standing in front of her. And years ago he would’ve sucked it up in hopes of peacefulness between them. But not this time.  
Not wanting to give Laurel and leverage and admit that Felicity had been visiting her without his knowledge, he made sure to phrase his answer wisely.  
“I haven’t sent her anywhere. My girlfriend is well capable of making her own decisions.”

The moment he said the word girlfriend he could see her flinch slighty and then something akin to surprise flash in her eyes. Was she really not expecting to hear that?  
“And since you didn’t give me the chance to formally greet you yet, hello Laurel.” he added and sent her a pointed look.

Things were going a little rocky so far, but thankfully she didn’t seem to make a move to call security, neither was someone else with her in the apartment. So far so good.

“What do you want?” she snapped at him, not bothering to return his politeness in any way. But she had always been that way, looking down at others most of the time, so he didn’t really expect her to, anyway. Not that it would change a thing, either.

“I think Felicity already explained that to you in fine detail. I just personally wanted to see you to make sure you understand I’m being serious with what you have been told. It’s been 4 years, Laurel. I think you and I both know it’s time to move on. And I mean that literally. I did so, too, partially thanks to you, but you already know that. Now I’m going to get the remnants of my life back that you haven’t ripped to pieces yet. Starting with this apartment.”

His heartbeat was surprisingly calm and collected compared to the way his brain was running a mile a minute. And still he’d somehow managed to render his ex-fiancée speechless for a moment. Maybe it was the fact that for the first time since starting their relationship, he actually spoke up against her. Or maybe it was his plan to proceed with the threat of kicking her out should she not leave the apartment freely. Either way, it felt incredibly freeing to finally stood up for himself against Laurel.

For agonizing long seconds, only the blinking of her lashes and the slightly quickened rise and fall of her chest was the only indication that she was still with him. Other than that, he was completely silent. So much, that he started to become a little nervous.

But then suddenly her chin started to waver the tiniest bit and one of her eyes teared up.  
“Why do you hate me so much, Ollie?”

Now that move he didn’t anticipate when going through the whole scenarios before knocking on her door. He wasn’t particularly interested to make her cry, but he couldn’t say he felt an ounce of sympathy towards her, either. Ignoring the single tear streaming down her face, he focused on getting his message clear.  
“I doubt it’ll be hard for you to find a new place. As far as I’ve heard your father still owns several buildings throughout the city, I’m sure one of them will do for a while.”

Realizing that her teary act didn’t seem to work, the wavering chin and sad eyes disappeared in an instant, replaced by the anger and hard face he was met with before. Shaking her head at him, something looking like the hint of a smile even played on her lips before she spoke up, her arms crossed over her chest.  
“You are going to regret that, Ollie. Don’t think my father will let this go without saying a word. Or yours.”

Maybe her threatening words should faze him, but much to his surprise, they didn’t.  
“I already talked to my father, which I’m sure you are well aware of. And the only thing I regret is having you live like that for 4 years while I suffered each and every single day for things I wasn’t responsible for. And that… that’s going to end now.”  
The way he leaned closer to her while he spoke, making sure she clearly got what he was saying to her, seemed to shake the arrogance off her for a moment

He didn’t bother to wait for an answer from her. There was nothing she could say to make him want to stay and talk to her any longer. Instead he turned on his heel and was about to leave, when he stopped once again to face her one last time.  
“Oh and like Felicity told you already, should you have any more questions or concerns, you have our lawyer’s business card.”  
With a polite nod in her direction, he turned and left the hallway, this time taking the elevator to the main entrance. If he was going to get this apartment back there was no way he needed to hide from the concierge any longer.

 

Coming home to the delicious smell of dinner was something Felicity had grown very accustomed to. This time, though, it was something else driving her home faster than normally. Ever since getting Oliver’s text message when she came out of a board meeting, she couldn’t focus on work, no matter how much she tried. Her thoughts kept wandering to Oliver and the fact that he was visiting his ex-fiancée to discuss or maybe revert whatever avalanche Felicity had set off with her impulsive visit. And discussing that over the phone or even by text was totally out of the picture. She needed to look him in the eyes while they spoke, which was why she found herself in one of the earlier subways after leaving work 15 minutes early.

There was no smell of dinner wafting through her house but since also Lucky wasn’t barreling through the hallway to greet her, Felicity suspected Oliver must still be out for a walk. Her stomach protested - loudly - when she passed the kitchen, so she made a quick stop and threw two pizzas in the oven. Having the talk over a full stomach sounded a lot more appealing.

Just when she returned downstairs, changed out of her work attire, the front door opened and Lucky dashed inside to frantically greet her, followed by a smiling Oliver. The moment she saw the relaxed look on his face, a huge weight lifted off her shoulders. Giving Lucky a quick scratch behind his ears, she got up and closed the distance to Oliver in the hallway.  
“Hey.” she smiled up at him, pushing up on her bare tiptoes so she could place a soft, lingering kiss on his lips. “I missed you.”

That earned her an even warmer smile from him.  
“I missed you, too.”  
He didn’t seem interested to let go of her just yet. Instead, he bent down, grabbed her thighs and swiftly wrapped them around his waist before walking through the hallway on steady feet. Sitting down on the couch he kept her in his lap, never breaking the kiss with her.  
It had been a few days since they had last made out like that, and the more skin his expert fingers exposed, the more he wanted to rip the clothes off her and have his wicked way with her for hours in front of the fireplace. Come to think of it, it had had been weeks since they last did that, too.

But just when he reached the front clasp of her bra under her pale yellow shirt, she pulled back from him.

“How did your meeting with Laurel go?”

Now that was a sure way to kill his erection. With a groan, he removed his hands from under her shirt and flopped back against the couch cushions. He should’ve known she would want to know about it, but the moment they started kissing, he kind of hoped things could be pushed back for more important things. Like getting her naked. But of course, Felicity seemed adamant.  
“As good as it could go, I guess.” he answered a little vaguely.

Felicity got off his lap and kneeled on the couch cushions right next to him, an expectant look on her face. She was clearly waiting for him to elaborate further.

Oliver rubbed his hands over his face once, then looked over at her.  
“She wasn’t really surprised to see me standing there, which I kind of expected. Obviously the Queen - Lance gossip line is still working well. Since she started right away to snap at me, I made my point clear by letting her know I’m standing firmly behind what you already told her. I expect her gone by the end of the month.”  
He deliberately kept to himself the hateful words Laurel had thrown out about Felicity. She really didn’t need to know that.

“How did she take it?”

“In her typical Laurel - fashion.” he huffed out with a slight shrug of his shoulder. “When she realized that her anger got her nowhere, she went with the teary-eyed route. Years ago I would’ve bought her act no questions asked, but the moment I stood there and looked her in the eyes, I realized that I feel absolutely nothing for her anymore. No anger, no regret and most definitely no pity. I don’t know if that makes me a terrible person but it’s the truth. I just want her out of my life as far as possible so I won’t have to waste another thought on her.”

With his head relaxed back into the couch and his eyes closed Felicity could see how much the day had exhausted him. She slowly crawled over the couch and closed the distance between them, her head rested on his shoulder while her hand went over the hard planes of his stomach.  
“You’re not a terrible person, Oliver.” she began with a soft voice, her finger tracing lazy circles over his abs. He rewarded her with a sigh, his muscles visibly loosening under her. “You just moved on from the past, that’s all.”

He’d never thought it so easy. Back when he still lived out on the street his head was filled with terrible pain over the loss of his daughter, and an anger so big towards the people who’d taken her away from him that it often made his hands shake. And back then he’d never, not once, thought that there ever might come a time he’d get over this feeling. And once again, Felicity seemingly proved him wrong.  
Opening his eyes, he tilted his head slightly and looked down at her.  
“Thank you.” he spoke with a soft voice, a warm smile playing on his lips. But the real warmth she could see in his eyes.

“You’re welcome.” Felicity smiled. “For what?” she added with a small grin.

“For helping me realize that it’s time to come to terms with my past, even if that means having to face my demons once again.”

The warm smile on her face widened at his words.  
“You did that all by yourself, Oliver. But it’s sweet to hear that you’re not mad at me for going behind your back. That was something that ate away at me right the moment I left her.”

He placed a soft kiss on her forehead, his lips lingering on the spot for a few seconds before he pulled away.  
“I’m sorry if I made you feel that way. I was just a little overwhelmed with how fast things were moving, it reminded me of my time working at QC a little too much. I’m thankful you did the things you’ve done because it means I can now sit here, with you in my arms, and look forward to the future without any burdens from my past weighing me down.”  
To accentuate his words he pulled her closer into his side, his arms firmly wrapped around her.

 

  
Much to Oliver’s relief, the rest of their week went rather uneventful. Though neither his father nor Laurel made any form of appearance, that was something that both relieved and worried him at the same time. Not knowing if anything was brewing behind their backs without his knowledge didn’t sit right with him.

Thankfully, Felicity, Lucky and John proved to be a perfect distraction from his worried thoughts.  
He still did his usual morning runs with John, followed by a quick liquid breakfast with Felicity before they both started their days. Since his jobs varied, they not always left together but he always made sure to arrive back home together in the afternoon.

 

When another snowstorm hit the city a few days later, Oliver’s workload exploded overnight. So much, that he even had to skip his morning run and tasked Felicity with taking Lucky for a walk. Everyone was eager to hire him freeing their driveways from the fresh snow.

Felicity saw him hard at work down the street when she returned from walking the dog, and four houses over when she left for work an hour later. On her way to the subway she managed to sneak a quick, salty kiss from him and promised to bring home chinese take out so Oliver wouldn’t have to worry about cooking after such a busy day.

 

It was over dinner an afternoon later when Felicity’s phone started ringing. Normally she’d ignore these calls during dinner time but when she glanced on the screen right before muting the call, she saw Caitlin’s name flash up. Not a second later she had the phone pressed to her ear.  
“Hey Felicity, Oliver near?”

“Yeah, he’s sitting right next to me right now.”  
Felicity replied looking over at Oliver while she answered, a questioning look on her face.

“Righty. Put me on speaker then.”

With another confused look she put the phone on the table between them and pressed the speaker button.  
“You’re on.”

“Hey Oliver!” Caitlin called out and before he had the chance to answer, she continued. “Okay, so get this… yesterday I got a call from a lawyer’s office in Starling City, representing the interests of one Dinah Laurel Lance.”

That made both Oliver and Felicity look at each other with wide eyes. And while Oliver kept staring without moving a muscle, Felicity actually mouthed an ‘OMG’ at him.

“You guys still there?”

Caitlin’s voice snapped them both out of their stares.  
“Yeah, yeah… sorry, you just caught us a little by surprise there.” Felicity explained.  
“So what did they want?”

“Now that’s where it gets funny. After you told me the story about how she was illegally living in Oliver’s place for years, I actually expected her to put up some sort of a fight, especially since you said they were engaged once. Color me surprised when her lawyers called me only to have an official written statement drawn up that she’ll move out by Feb 10th if both you guys have to sign to keep things confidential. Even though I have no idea why someone could be so adamant at keeping something like that confidential.”

“We’ll explain that when we have more time.” Felicity replied absently, her eyes never leaving Oliver’s.

After staring wordlessly at each other for what seemed like minutes, she looked at him while she spoke, though her question was aimed at both her friend and Oliver.  
“So she’s actually moving out? Just like that?”

“Seems so. I’m still waiting for their reply and will thoroughly check the stuff they want you to sign, but so far it all looks good.”

Felicity made sure to thank her friend profusely for all the help before ending the call with the promise to stay in touch should something come up. Oliver had stayed silent throughout the entire call, something that made Felicity nervous now all of a sudden. It wasn’t that she expected him to jump up with joy, but any emotion at all would’ve been nice.  
“I hope you don’t think I have shared any private details with Caitlin,” she carefully began and immediately got Oliver’s attention, even though he furrowed his brow slightly in confusion.  
“About Ariel’s accident,” she clarified, “Or about Laurel’s involvement in anything, really. I just told her that she had been living in your place after you left and that you wanted her gone as soon as possible. It’s not my story to tell and I didn’t want to share any private details of your life without your permission. I hope you know that I would never do that, Oliver.” she tried to smile, even though a bit of worry was eating away at her. She had tried to keep the information to Caitlin at a bare minimum, only revealing enough about Oliver that her friend could work with it should Laurel really give her a call.

His face immediately softened to a small smile at her words.  
“I know that.” He took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. “It just feels weird that things are finally coming to an end after so many years of nothing happening.”

She squeezed his hand back and brought it up to her lips to give his knuckles a soft kiss.  
“You should call Thea. Maybe see if she’s interested to come for another visit.” Felicity offered while clearing off the table. “It’s been a while since you two have seen each other and besides... I could do with some sort of girls night, as well.” she beamed at him.

Her words made him chuckle. Imagining the two most important women in his life, sitting together on her couch and plotting whatever plans to take over the world instantly filled him with a warmth and contentment he hadn’t felt in a while. It was way more than he could have ever imagined, especially years ago, at his lowest point in life.  
“Alright, I’ll call her.”


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this in between two hospital visits, so please bear with me if there are any typos because half of this chapter isn't fully edited. I just wanted to get this chapter posted since it's been two weeks already...

Thea seemed eager to get away from studying for a bit and instantly agreed to visit them the following weekend when Oliver made the offer to her. It surprised the hell out of Felicity that she even agreed to stay in their guest room. Every time Oliver’s sister had squeezed some free time into her schedule to visit her brother, Felicity had offered her the extra room but so far, Thea had never jumped on the offer.

The women had gotten to know each other a bit over the last weeks. One evening while Oliver was on the phone with her, Thea asked him to hand over the phone to Felicity so the two women could discuss some ‘lady stuff’. He had no idea what she meant by that and he certainly didn’t ask, but if the small grin playing on Felicity’s lips and the mischievous looks she was sending him while she spoke to his sister was any indication, ‘lady stuff’ could only be a code for huge trouble.

After that, Thea also started texting Felicity every now and then. The women started to bond so incredibly fast that sometimes, Oliver wondered if his little sister actually preferred to talk to her rather than him. It also amused him to no end how Thea’s bluntness and very direct character often left Felicity a little overwhelmed for a moment.  
If these two women were ever to plot something against him, there was nothing he could do about it, that was for sure. And that both frightened and excited him.

 

Caitlin called two more times to inform them that Laurel’s lawyers had sent the drawn up statement and to set up a time to meet, discuss everything in person once again before signing the papers to send them back. It instantly put Oliver at ease that Laurel actually had come through with the contract and was still willing to leave without putting up an unnecessary fight, though signing a NDA for her to have her move was something that still didn’t sit quite right with him.

One evening on the couch, while they watched a re-run of Fixer Upper - the only thing Oliver liked to watch on TV besides sports - his head suddenly turned around towards her. Felicity was casually relaxed into his side, her legs propped up along the couch, her trusted tablet PC in her lap. That woman was always busy with work, even in the evenings at home.  
“I think I’d like to visit my mother.”

That sure got her attention. Surprised eyes snapped away from whatever she was working on and up to him. No, she clearly didn’t expect to hear anything like that from him. But neither did he, to be honest. For a few days now he’d had that thought in his mind, feeling the urge to go visit his mother grow stronger and stronger. With things between Thea and him now back to normal, and the situation between his father and him settled, it only left Moira. And if anything, his mother at least deserved an apology for running out on her like he did. What she’d decide to do with that then, well that was entirely out of his hands. But either way, he realized that he at least wanted to visit her once.

Felicity, being the ever supportive girlfriend, quickly removed the surprised look on her face and smiled a small smile at him.  
“Okay,” she began and sat up so she could face him. “I mean, of course. After all, she’s your mother, right?” she continued, the tone in her voice sounding way too excited to be genuine.

He understood that she was a little apprehensive of the idea, and after what he’d revealed about his family, followed by the not so pleasant meetings she’d had with his father, he really couldn’t blame her. To her, the only decent people in the entire Queen family were probably he and Thea. And for some reason, he felt the same like she did about his mother.  
Going into a meeting with Moira, he didn’t know what to expect. After almost 4 years, that woman had become as much of a stranger to him as his own sister or his ex-fiancée.  
He would at least give her the same chance he had given Thea and Laurel.

“I thought maybe we could visit Ariel’s grave this saturday and then drive over there, see if she’s at home.”

That made her sit straight in up surprise.  
“Wait. You want me to go with you? As in, bringing me when you are going to see your mom for the first time in four years?” she asked, eyes wide.

Her flummoxed expression almost made him chuckle. She was way too adorable with her little eye and lip quirks whenever she was amused or surprised.  
“Of course. You’re the woman I share my life with. I wouldn’t want you anywhere else but by my side. And for the moral support, of course,” he added with a small, tiny smile. “You’re way better at keeping a level head than me.”

“Oh, so you need a bodyguard,” she remarked with a grin, “you sure John’s more fit for that kind of job?” she added with a thumb over her shoulder.

Oliver couldn’t help the small grin that also spread on his face.  
“Maybe, but I’m pretty sure it’d freak my mother if I showed up unannounced, tightly holding the hand of a black hunk of a man.”

Now that made her laugh out loud. The image of Oliver and John, both men well over 6 feet tall with muscles for days, lovingly holding hands while Oliver waited for his mother to open the door… yeah, they really didn’t need to paint a confusing picture like that.  
The amused grin slowly faded from her lips and got replaced with a shy, almost unsure look.  
“Yeah,” she shrugged. “I mean, if it’s what you want, then I’ll come with you.”

 

The closer the weekend came, the more nervous Felicity got. Which was funny, since it was actually Oliver’s important day to visit his mother. And still, he felt surprisingly calm about it.  
Felicity though kept running around like chicken with its head cut off. After putting on at least 8 different outfits on friday evening, which Oliver all found ‘very beautiful’, he forcefully had to drag her away from her closet and the mess that was their bedroom and get her to take a breath for a moment.

“How can it be that I’m so nervous and you are so deadly calm? Your mother could either hate or like me; she could invite us into her home or kick us out the second she sees us and I want to be dressed properly for both occasions. I can’t look like a slob next to you. Even when I’m getting kicked to the curb.” she signed and thumped her head on his shoulder in exhaustion.  
With a small grin he listened to her ramblings.  
“You’re not a slob, Felicity.” he chuckled. “And if she decides not to see me, we’re going to leave like civilized people. With our heads held high.”

 

They started their next morning with a rich breakfast, followed by a long, relaxing walk with Lucky. They had to stop at several houses because people always stopped Oliver to ask him a ton of questions about their houses, but since Felicity had never seen him so relaxed before, she really didn’t mind the interruptions. Neither did Lucky, who was getting treats left and right, nearly everywhere they stopped. She really needed to make sure he wasn’t getting too fat if Oliver should ever decide to take the dog with him during business hours.  
The constant chats about wood panels, broken doors or leaking sinks also helped her to steer her brain away from the impending visit at his mother’s place.  
She really worried and hoped the meeting with Oliver’s mother would go well. If not for her, but certainly for him. Because while he seemed very happy to have his sister back in his life, she could see the pain and hurt in his eyes every time Donna called and Felicity got to talk to her mother over the phone, however sparse these conversations were. But at least she had a mother to talk to, while Oliver had no idea if his still even cared about him.

Since they paid a visit to Ariel’s grave before leaving for the Queen mansion, Felicity made sure to dress warm and comfy, even if it destroyed her well laid out plan of the perfect business outfit to exude responsibility and poise.

Oliver wasn’t as silent and withdrawn into himself like he was the first time she went with him to visit Ariel’s grave, so that was something that really relieved her. He seemed to make progress with everything in life lately, even with getting over the death of his daughter.

 

The moment they left the cemetery though and headed back to the car, Felicity could feel the tension in his fingers starting to build up. He steered her through the streets into a more rural part of the city. She had never been in this area before, but judging from the opulence of the buildings she could certainly see that Starling City’s big money lived there.  
A few miles later, Oliver told her to take a left turn and drive right onto a large closed gate. Stopping in front of it, he told her to wait a second and jumped out of the car, stopped in front of a key pad and punched in a number. Just seconds later, the gate slowly opened.

“Thea gave me her key code for the gate since mine didn’t work any longer.” Oliver told her with a small smile the moment he settled back into her small car.

Felicity carefully steered the car through the gate and along the narrow road.  
“You told her you’re going to visit your mother?”

“Yeah. Surprised the hell out of her.” he chuckled. “And she threatened me with bodily harm if I don’t call and tell her how it went as soon as we’re back home.”

“Why am I not surprised to hear that?” Felicity laughed, but the moment the thick canopy of trees opened up in front of her and a huge mansion came into view, her mouth snapped shut.  
“Holy macaron that’s a damn huge house!” she exclaimed, earning a soft chuckle from him.

“It ever felt more like a museum to me than a home.” Oliver shrugged slightly and when Felicity sneaked a quick glance over at him, she could see his eyes focused on the main entrance in clear concentration. His hands were sitting in his lap, but she could see his fingers nervously twitching around. As much as he was calm and collected all morning, he was clearly nervous now. Good, so she wouldn’t be the only one with sweaty palms today.

 

She parked the car in the middle of the round driveway and waited for Oliver to get out. But his eyes remained trained on the large, imposing building sitting in front of them. A few lights were on in the rooms here and there, but she quickly realized how much troth lay in Oliver’s words… even from the outside it looked like a freakin museum. If that would be the general theme of the house, she was in no particular hurry to explore the inside of it.

When Oliver unfastened his seatbelt and opened the door, she did the same. On slightly shaky legs she grabbed her purse and locked the car, straightened out her skirt and wool coat and made her way over to Oliver who was patiently waiting for her, despite his look of concentration on the front door of the building.

“Ready?” she asked and looped her arm around his waiting elbow.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” he sighed, took a deep breath and made the first step towards the stairs leading up to the front door.

 

Felicity waited while Oliver knocked on the door, his hand in hers gripped tightly. After what felt like an eternity - what was probably only a few seconds - the front door opened and a small, brunette woman dressed in a maid’s uniform opened the door.  
Her eyes went wide the moment they landed on Oliver.  
“It’s good to see you, Raisa.”

“Mr. Oliver!” she called out and wrapped him in a bear hug, forcing him to let go of Felicity’s hand for a second. The genuine smile playing on his lips was well worth it, though.  
The maid quickly corrected herself though and stepped back.  
“I am sorry, that was uncalled for,” she spoke with a thick accent. “It’s just so very good to see you again.”

“It’s fine, Raisa. Don’t worry about it.” he smiled warmly at her. “This is Felicity.” he spoke, took her hand in his and smile down at her. “Felicity, this is Raisa, the woman that spent more time chasing me around the property than I’m comfortable to admit.” he chuckled softly.  
Felicity could instantly see the real warmth and affection between Oliver and the maid, something she had yet only seen with his sister. She made a mental note to ask Oliver about the maid later, as soon as they were at home.  
“I’m looking to see my mother. Is she at home?”

At that, the maid stood tall again, professionalism oozing from every pore.  
“Of course. She will be very delighted to see you. She's in her office. Please, please, come inside. I’ll go let her know.”

The maid was about to quickly hurry inside and leave them at the door when Oliver stopped her with a hand on her arm.  
“No need, Raisa. I still know my way around the house.”

At that, the maid smiled warmly.  
“Of course you do. Please, stay for dinner of you can, will you? I’ll make your favourite meal.”

Felicity felt him stiffen up slightly beside her.  
“I can’t promise but we’ll try.”  
It clearly was the polite way to tell her he wasn't planning to do that.

With a small nod the maid excused herself and turned to leave, leaving Oliver and Felicity alone in the large hallway. Risking a quick look around, Felicity was stunned by the opulence and size of the rooms, with a large stairwell leading up to the second level.  
She could feel Oliver take a deep breath and turn to head down the long hallway. She quickly followed him on silent feet, her eyes darting left and right to take in the large number of paintings lining the walls. He didn’t spare his surroundings any glance, though, another stark reminder of how little fond memories he seemed to have of the place that once used to be his home.  
The moment they reached a closed double door, though, Oliver’s entire body went rigid.

Squeezing his hand in support, she sent him a warm encouraging smile the moment he looked over at her. It was all it took for him to knock on the door and wait for an answer.

“Come in!” a female voice called back. Though it sounded friendly, Felicity could hear some undertones of annoyance in it, something that definitely didn’t help calm her racing nerves. Oliver didn’t waste another second but opened the door the moment his mother’s voice called out. As soon as he took a step into the office though, closely followed by Felicity, he froze on the spot the moment his eyes fell on his mother for the first time in almost four years.

Moira Queen was sitting behind her desk, her eyes focused on a large array of papers. She didn’t look up at first, which gave Felicity time to study the woman for a bit while Oliver blankly stared at her for a second.  
“Mom.”  
Felicity almost didn’t recognize his voice. He sounded so unsure, nervous even, but at that one word, Moira’s eyes snapped up in shock nonetheless.

“Oliver?”  
Kicking her chair back, she got up from the desk so quick that a small tower of papers went tumbling over. With slow, measured steps at first, Moira rounded the desk and made her way to where Oliver and Felicity stood. Halfway through the room her pace picked up noticeably.  
“Oliver... my beautiful boy.” she almost mumbled, her eyes already glistening with tears. Felicity politely let go of his hand and took a step backwards so he could hug his mother properly.

He looked stunned and frozen on the spot when Moira wrapped her slim arms around his broad chest and fiercely hugged him while mumbling unintelligible words into his chest. At first he didn’t hug her back, but after a moment he slowly wrapped his arms loosely around his mother’s back and held onto her.

It took Moira a long time to get herself together enough to let go of Oliver. Felicity felt uncomfortable having to witness the very personal scene but was glad that neither seemed to pay her any attention.  
Moira stepped back from Oliver but kept a slim palm on his cheek for a moment while she smiled up at him. It was Felicity’s fidgeting with the hem of her coat that made the Queen head snap around and obviously take in the other person standing behind Oliver for the first time.  
“Mom, that’s my girlfriend, Felicity Smoak.” he spoke and intertwines his fingers with hers, pride evident in his voice. It also sounded a lot more confident than just minutes ago when he addressed his mother for the first time.

Surprise flashed in his mother’s eyes for a second but the Queen head was quick to mask that with a polite smile.  
“It’s nice to meet you, Felicity.” she spoke with a soft, polite voice, offering Felicity a hand. The curious look on Moira’s face was only diminished by the obvious mistrust radiating through the room. Felicity couldn’t say she felt comfortable being in that woman’s presence either, but then again she really couldn’t blame the woman for not trusting some stranger right away that shows up at the arm of her long lost son. She also noticed how Moira kept looking at their firmly clasped hands, something that made Felicity even more nervous, especially since she couldn’t read anything on the woman’s face to make out if she approved or not. Not that it’d matter much.

Only sparing her another quick glance, Moira quickly turned her attention towards Oliver again.  
“You look good.” she appraised him with a warm smile before motioning towards the door. “Come, let’s sit down in the living room.” The work on her desk long forgotten she moved ahead of them, calling out for the maid on their way to serve them drinks.

Oliver looked over his shoulder at Felicity still standing by his side. She smiled at him but even he could see that she was a more than a little uncomfortable. Stealing a quick kiss, he followed his mother through the house, pulling Felicity along with him.

 

“I have so many questions,” Moira began when they were all seated on the couch, each one a cup of coffee in front of them, served in the most delicate and fragile little cups Felicity had ever seen.  
“Where have you been all this time? Why didn’t you call? Or visit? You had us all very worried, Oliver.” Moira frowned and while anger at the woman’s almost accusing words started to well up in Felicity, Oliver stayed surprisingly relaxed. It really surprised her, especially since his mother’s actions had been only another reason for him to leave back then. But this was not her fight, and Oliver only wanted her as moral support, so she kept her opinion to herself and patiently waited for Oliver’s answer.

“You and I both know that’s not true, mom.” he replied with a calm voice, even the hint of a smile playing on his lips. “If anything, dad only wanted me back in the family so he could dictate more of my personal life to his liking. I didn’t up and leave like that because I wanted, I did because you left me no other choice!”

At his harsh words, Moira flinched back slightly. She clearly didn’t expect to hear her own son speak to her so gruffly.  
It took her a moment to find her words after Oliver’s statement, and the mood in the room had clearly dropped a few notches after that.  
"Your father and I,” she began and the moment Moira mentioned his father Felicity could feel the tension in his whole body ramp up. She reached over and took one of his hands into hers and squeeze it in support. “Things haven’t been the same ever since you left. I can’t forgive him for what he did to you, but I also can’t forgive myself for letting it all happen. I thought I’d never see you again. I thought I’d lost you.”

Tears that Felicity felt were genuine started to well up in the older woman’s eyes while she spoke, her gaze never leaving Oliver’s. At his mother’s words, Oliver gulped once but otherwise kept his emotions in check, even though Felicity could feel how rigid his fingers were in her hand.  
With his eyes lowered into his lap, he silently answered.  
“Just like I lost Ariel.”

It felt like a breaking point for both of them. Moira got up from her spot opposite of them the moment Oliver spoke the words, and made her way over to him. Taking a seat she immediately wrapped him in her arms and even though Oliver hugged her back with one arm, he never let go of Felicity’s hand in the other. She felt like an intruder in a incredibly personal moment but it made her very happy that Oliver wanted to keep his physical connection to her nonetheless.

 

Conversations flowed a little easier after that. Oliver was still very reserved towards his mother, despite her several attempts at getting through to him, and Felicity still felt uncomfortable under the older woman’s scrutinizing gazes she sent her every now and then, but other than that, Oliver and his mother talked at least a lot more freely than he had with his father, so she counted that as a positive sign.

Raisa came over twice for refills and sent Oliver and Felicity warm, genuine smiles, much different than the way Moira looked at her. When they got up to leave almost an hour later, Moira’s face fell in what looked like real disappointment for a moment.  
“You’re not staying for dinner? Raisa can prepare your favourite -”

“It’s fine, mom,” Oliver cut her off with a small smile and a pat on her arm. “We have someone waiting for us at home and I really need to let this day sink in for a bit.”

Shocked, wide eyes met Felicity at his words, traveled down to her flat, coat-covered stomach before landing on Oliver’s face again.  
“A dog,” he clarified the moment he realized what his mother must’ve been thinking. “We have a dog named Lucky.”

Felicity was a little shocked herself at the insinuation but Oliver seemed surprisingly calm about his mother’s thoughts. But maybe he was still keeping himself together until they left.  
The moment Moira heard the word ‘dog’ her tense shoulders instantly relaxed and for a second though, it infuriated Felicity that his mother seemed so shocked about the possibility of her son having a child with her. She didn’t need to have an own child to know she’d have treated his own daughter better than Laurel ever had.  
  


Oliver briefly hugged his mother goodbye when Moira took a small step back and smiled up at him.  
“I could not be more proud of the man you have become, Oliver, despite the horrible things you had to endure… the horrible things I put you through. I just hope you can find it in you one day to forgive me. That’s all I’m asking from you, and I know I don’t have a right to do that.”

It shocked the hell out of Felicity to hear these words because up until that point, Moira had looked like she just hoped Oliver would sweep it all under the rug what happened years ago. To hear her actually worried whether Oliver might forgive her was something that at least partially restored her opinion of the older woman.  
When a hand extended in her direction, Felicity politely shook it and send the woman a small smile.  
“It was nice to meet you, Mrs.Queen.”

Moira didn’t answer, she just smiled and nodded once in her direction, her observing eyes never leaving Felicity’s face. What was it with these Queen people always looking down on her? Robert had done it, though she’d thoroughly put him in his place after that, and now his mother was doing it as well. At least their children hadn’t gotten that nasty trait from their parents and were genuine likeable and honest people.

 

After hugging Raisa goodbye - where the maid actually pulled Felicity into a strong hug, too - they both walked over to Felicity’s car in silence. Even when they both closed the doors no one said a word. Felicity didn’t dare start the engine before Oliver seemed okay with leaving his parent’s place but then he looked over at her, his warm blue eyes meeting hers and a tiny smile broke out on her lips.  
“Thank you for coming with me today. I know this hasn’t been easy for you.”

“Ah pish posh,” she waved him off, “this has certainly been harder for you. Moira Queen isn’t the first person to dislike or trying to intimidate me.” she shrugged slightly.

Oliver couldn’t say anything against it because she was right. He’d seen the way his mother studied his girlfriend, too. And from the past years, where Moira always praised Laurel and her good one-percenter background, he could only assume what thoughts must’ve been going through his mother’s head. Not that he cared for any of that any longer.  
“Let’s get out of here.”

With a relieved sigh she started the car and steered them off the property, away from the house that held many of Oliver’s memories growing up, but also a woman she couldn’t seem to warm up to yet.

 

They were just a mile from the city when a police car sped up to them and made them pull over. Both Oliver and Felicity frowned because while she liked to push her trusted Mini Cooper every now and then, she certainly hadn’t passed the speed limit. Sending a frown to Oliver, who also shrugged at her, they waited for the police officer to walk up to their car. After what seemed a long moment the doors opened and two officers got out of the police cruiser. While one waited near their car, the other walked up to Felicity’s window. She slowly rolled it down.  
“Did I do something wrong, officer?”

Unfazed by her question, he looked down at her once, scanned the car quickly and gave Oliver the barest of a look before focusing back on her again.  
“License, registration, insurance.” the officer said to her with a gruff voice.

It took a lot out of Felicity not to flinch at the harsh tone the cop was directing at her.  
“Sure, I have them in my bag in the back seat.”

It took her a moment to find everything and when she handed everything over to the cop, he walked away from the car without another word.  
“Did I do anything wrong?” Felicity whispered to Oliver, not daring to look over at him so the cops could see them talking and get a wrong idea.

“I have no idea. You certainly weren’t going too fast. An unpaid ticket maybe?” Oliver suggested, earning a sharp look from her.

“I haven’t ever gotten a speeding ticket in my life, so I highly doubt that.”

The cop returned back to her car a few minutes later, this time with his colleague in tow.  
“Miss Smoak?” he addressed her, this time formally but not any less gruffly. “Please step out of the car.”

With wide eyes, her head whipped around to Oliver for a second before looking out of her window at the officer again. Shaky hands opened the car door and as soon as she stepped out, a strong hand caught her wrist, a handcuff snapping shut firmly around it just a second later. While he whipped her around, pressed her against the car and handcuffed her other wrist, he kept on talking to her.  
“Felicity Smoak, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you at government expense.“

“What? No? What for? What have I done?” Felicity screeched when he started dragging her off to the police cruiser.

She could hear Oliver jumping out of the car behind her.  
“What’s going on here? Why are you taking her?”

The second police officer, the one that had remained silent up until that point, held up a hand and stopped Oliver from sprinting over to Felicity.  
“I need you to stay back, Mister Queen.” Oliver was about to ignore him when he watched the officer’s other hand move towards the gun holster at his hip. The moment the other cop had a screeching Felicity safely locked into the police cruiser, the second cop also turned around and made it back to the car with quick steps. Before Oliver even had the chance to close the distance to them, the car had already pulled away and rounded him and the Mini Cooper, a frantic looking Felicity in the backseat slowly disappearing from sight.

 

Oliver stood there for a good ten seconds, staring along the road where Felicity just disappeared before his feet carried him back to the car with hurried steps. He had no idea what was going on there but he was sure to clear this up. Just when he spotted her bag in the backseat, with her phone and all her belongings in there, he realized that even though he’d never given any of the police officers his name, the cop had addressed him directly.  
Something was very, very wrong here.

With screeching tires her pulled back onto the road and started following the police car, even though they were long out of sight. At the same time he fumbled for his phone and called the one person her could imagine at the moment.

“Oliver, what’s up? Lucky is waiting for you guys to come home. I barely managed to stop him from chewing through one of my -”

“I need your help, John.”  
The panicked tone in Oliver’s voice immediately shut his friend up.  
“We were just driving back from my mother’s and a police car stopped us. They took Felicity, John. And they knew exactly who I was without even looking at me twice.”

John’s tone instantly changed from chatty to dead-serious.  
“Was it Starling City police?”

Oliver had two wrack his brain for a moment to memorize the text on the police car.  
“I think so. I'm not sure. It all happened so fast, I didn’t pay enough attention.” he growled, angry at himself for not catching up on that.

“Alright, then come here first, we’ll sort this out. Don’t do anything stupid, you hear me? You come here right now and we’ll figure this out together.”

Oliver hated to admit that his friend was right but he was. Ending the call he kicked on the gas, pushing the car to its limits to get back home as quickly as possible. He knew his father must have something to do with that, he just felt it in his bones. Which meant he needed to work twice as hard to get her out of wherever these cops had taken her.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey gang! :)  
> This is going to be super short because I'm still in hospital.  
> I'm really grateful for all the support and kudos you guys are leaving for this story, even though I appear to be a lazy ass with posting chapters lately (and I assure you it's not that!). I'm still doing my best :)

John was already waiting in their apartment when Oliver got home, thanks to the spare key Felicity insisted in him having. Lucky kept barking and jumping around but Oliver was too fired up to even spare his furry friend a glance.  
“What do we do now, John? I don’t even know where they have taken her!”

“First of all, you have to breathe, Oliver. Now take a seat and tell me exactly what happened.”

He didn’t sit down but told his friend in detail how the entire situation with the police officers arresting Felicity had happened. John frowned especially when Oliver said that the second cop addressed him directly even though there was no way he could’ve known Oliver’s name.  
“My father is behind this, John, I know it! It’s my fault she’s in a police cell right now! If I hadn’t brought all that shit that is my life onto her doorstep, she wouldn’t be sitting in a cell right now.”

“Calm down, Oliver. As of now we have no idea who’s behind all this and speculations won’t get us anywhere. Instead of blaming yourself, clear your head and focus on finding a way to get her out of there. Felicity needs you focused right now, not freaking out.”

“This is my father we’re dealing with, John!” Oliver snapped back, exasperation evident in his tone. “I have every reason to be freaked out right now.” he growled while pacing up and down the living room. He was so worked up he barely thought to breathe.

John didn’t even flinch at his friend’s loud voice.  
“Then that’s twice the reason she needs you sharp and focused. Now let’s figure out how the cops could’ve known where you guys were unless they had been following you for a while.”

Oliver suddenly stopped his pacing and looked up at his friend, trying to remember if he spotted a police car somewhere on their way to the Queen mansion.  
“Unless…” With quick fingers he had his phone pulled out and punched a number into it. It rang several times until someone picked up. John stared at him with a confused look.  
“Raisa? Hey, it’s Oliver. Could you please get my mother on the phone? Thank you.”

As soon as he spoke the words, it dawned on John what Oliver must have been thinking. Several moments later he could hear a female voice ring through the speaker.  
“Oliver? I everything alright, dear?” Moira replied, sounding clearly confused to hear from him again so soon after he left.

He got right to the point, way too agitated for some small talk.  
“Mom, did you tell dad that Felicity and I were at the mansion?”

After a long moment of silence, Moira spoke up again.  
“Well yes… I told Raisa to inform Robert it would be nice to have dinner together tonight since you so unexpectedly visited but as she told me just after you left, he said he didn’t expect to make it out of the office sooner today.”

His free hand balled up to a fist while his mother spoke, ready to punch a hole in the nearest wall. John was ready to stop Oliver should he make a move to the next wall but much to his surprise, he stayed rooted to the spot.  
“You shouldn’t have done that, mother.” he growled through gritted teeth, his fist continuously clenching and unclenching.

Moira seemed to immediately pick up on the anger radiating through Oliver’s voice, worry now etching her own.  
“What’s going on?”

“We’re trying to figure that out right now.” was all he snapped at her before hanging up. As long as he had no idea who was behind this, he didn’t have time for idle chit-chat, especially not until he figured out whether or not his mother was involved.

Facing his friend still sitting at the table, Oliver tried to figure out what to do next.  
“Maybe I should drive to the precinct and see if I can speak to anyone, maybe get her out then and there.”

John contemplated that idea for just a moment.  
“If it’s true what you think and your father really is behind this arrest and the cops knew exactly who you are, then there is no way they’re gonna let you walk in there like that and give you answers, or let Felicity go like that. We need to do this right if we want to achieve anything. I’m gonna call a friend who has a cousin in the precinct, maybe we can shed some light to this.”

Oliver nodded once.  
“I’ll try and get Caitlin on the phone.”

John occupied the kitchen while Oliver paced the hallway of the upper floor while trying to reach Felicity’s lawyer friend. As long as John wasn’t able to find out why exactly Felicity had been arrested, there was no way he could give Caitlin any directions, but it calmed him immensely to know Felicity had a friend like her to rely on.

In the end, he only reached her assistant, so he could only leave a note to call him back as soon as possible. John seemed to have more luck, though.  
“Just got off the phone with my friend,” he began when Oliver came back downstairs. “Apparently Felicity is being charged with heavy extortion, attempted extortion and trespassing.”

The frown on John’s face while he told him this quickly replaced the shock from hearing it to real, honest worry for Oliver. A concerned looking John was never a good thing, that he knew after several months of being friends with the man. And the accusations sounded absolutely ludicrous.

“We’re talking up to a 10-year prison sentence for these crimes, Oliver.”

He was sure he stopped breathing for a moment. This couldn’t be right. This couldn’t be happening to her. Not to Felicity.  
Managing to grab the chair before he went down, Oliver sat at the table and stared at the phone in his hand for a long time. Despite the sheer craziness going on at the moment, his brain had seemed to completely shut down.

“Get your or her lawyer on the phone as quickly as possible, Oliver. We need all areas covered, stat.”

Thankful that John was keeping such a level head, despite being obviously worried himself, Oliver nodded once and then sprinted upstairs to retrieve her tablet PC and the file from her safe. With all the information she had dug up about his father and ex-fiancée they needed to work through each and every single piece of paper. Especially now that his own father was obviously behind this arrest. It took a lot out of him not to grab his coat, storm over to Queen Consolidated and punch his father square in the face.  
  


Just when he came back downstairs his phone started ringing. Seeing Caitlin’s name flash up on his screen instantly relieved him.  
“My assistant said it was urgent. Don’t worry so much, Oliver, I’ll forward the NDA as soon as I have it fully checked.” Caitlin laughed.

“You need to come to Starling City. As soon as possible.”  
His short reply and worried tone shut her up immediately. “I’ll pay for everything, airfare, gas, whatever. Just come to Starling as quickly as you can, please.”

Now real concern laced her tone instead of laughter.  
“Oliver, what’s going on?”

“Felicity has been arrested and is being charged with several crimes she hasn’t committed. We need to get her out of there but we can’t do that without the help of her lawyer. Please, Caitlin, I don’t know who else to ask that I can trust with this.”

A deep sigh and some shuffling could be heard on the other end of the line, followed by some muffled sounds. Oliver barely resisted to chew his fingernails off while he waited. If she refused to come, or even help them, he had no idea who else to ask.  
“Alright, send me your address. I can be in Starling City in 2 hours. Have coffee ready, sounds like I’m gonna need it.”

A relieved sigh left Oliver.  
“Thank you, I owe you one.”

“Of course you do.” Caitlin laughed back and quickly ended the call.

 

Deciding to just give it a try to see if they could at least speak to an officer in charge, John called the precinct and explained his case to the officer on the other end of the line. It took a lot out of Oliver to remain silent while through the speakerphone he could hear the officer making dismissive remarks, clearly trying to avoid answering John’s questions.  
He didn’t know how many officers were in his father’s - or Lance’s - pockets but from the looks of it, many more than would help their case.

When John stayed persistent, the officer grumbled and put them on a waiting loop. Almost a minute passed with nothing but the annoying music blaring through the speaker when John couldn’t take it anymore and turned the speaker off, putting the phone back to his ear. Oliver was about to protest when John silenced him with a raised finger.  
“Yeah? I see... Anything else?... Well, thank you for the information.”

Oliver had no idea what was being said but by the suddenly hardening features on his friend’s face, it couldn’t be anything good. John ended the call, threw the phone on the table and rubbed his face with both palms.  
“She’s not here any longer. The officer said they have taken her to Iron Heights already. That was as much as she was willing to tell me.”

“So fast?” Oliver called out in shock. “She’s been with them for barely an hour. How is that even possible?”

John looked as grim as Oliver felt.

“We need to get her out of there.”

John nodded once.  
“And we gotta do that fast. She obviously didn’t get the chance to contact her lawyer, or anyone, for that matter, but the officer just told me Felicity hasn’t wanted to call anyone so they took her straight to Iron Heights. No one I know has ever done that before, Oliver. With that one granted phone call, you at least make sure to get a lawyer involved, especially in her case. Felicity isn’t stupid. She would’ve either called you or Caitlin to get things cleared.”

Oliver leaned back into the chair and angrily rubbed his eyes with his hands. Things were spiraling out of control and he had no idea how to stop them.

“I have no contacts at Iron Heights, so Caitlin needs to hurry up and get here as quickly as possible. They obviously already denied Felicity her phone call and took her to prison within an hour of arresting her. This needs to get controlled before it gets even more out of hand.”

With a heavy sigh, Oliver looked out of the window at the snow covered wall of her backyard, the wall he heaved himself over with the last strength he could muster before passing out on her back porch all these months ago; a strength he was now needing more than ever.  
“They won’t let me visit her at Iron Heights. I can’t go to my father to try and fix this and without Caitlin we have no idea how to get ahold of this mess. So Felicity is basically in prison because of me and there’s nothing I can do to get her out of there. Just fucking wonderful.” he spit out, anger at himself welling up in him. This was the exact thing he always wanted to avoid. His father - or whoever was behind this - trying to get back at him by hurting her. And so far it seemed to be working damn fine, which infuriated him only further.

With nothing else to do to pass the time, both men worked through the tons of documents Felicity had compiled about Robert Queen and his machinations, along with several files about Laurel. Just when they had everything piled up in small stacks all over the dining table, the door bell rang.  
A barking Lucky sprinted through the hallway, followed by Oliver’s quick steps. Up until that point he hadn’t met Caitlin in person but as soon as he opened the door and a slim brunette woman smiled up at him, all that unfamiliarity was long forgotten.  
“Caitlin? Hi, I’m Oliver Queen.”

With an almost shy smile she shook his hand and looked down at herself at the small white dog wagging his tail at her feet and staring up at her.  
“That’s Lucky. Thanks for coming on such short notice, coffee is almost ready.” he ushered her inside.

Shaking hands with John, Caitlin had a quick look around the apartment while she took off her coat and scarf. The place looked comfy and inviting, just like she always thought Felicity would live. She’d always wanted to visit her friend after her moving to Starling City, but the women had never found the time for it. To do it now with such a negative reason behind it saddened her.

 

Each armed with a cup of coffee, they all took a seat at the crowded table where John and Oliver brought her up to speed.  
“So this has something to do with the NDA?” Caitlin frowned slightly when Oliver told her he suspected his father and Laurel behind the arrest due to him and Felicity showing up at QC and Laurel’s place just a few days ago.

“In part,” he nodded. “I think my father tried to find a way to pay it back to me. And since my mother tipped him off that we’ve been at their place, I’m sure he had a cop car to follow us and arrest her.”

“But you can’t prove any of that.” she stated matter of factly, never looking up, the pen in her hand practically flying over the paper in front of her, filling it with notes the more Oliver revealed.

“Only that my mother informed my father about our whereabouts before we left. Though I’m not so sure she would testify that in court if forced.” he frowned.

“Not important right now,” Caitlin waved him off. “We can trace the phone calls if necessary. That makes it unimportant if she’d be willing to testify or not. But for now we need to focus on whether this really has been planned by your father and - if that’s the case - how we can prove it. But first of all I’m going to call the police station and Iron Heights. Felicity is entitled to contact her lawyer and so far I haven’t been notified by anyone.”

The confidence with which Caitlin talked reassured Oliver a bit. John still kept reading through the various files on the table while Caitlin excused herself to make a few calls. There was nothing left for him to do at the moment other than tending to Lucky for a bit. The little dog seemed thoroughly confused by the sudden commotion in his home, as well as Felicity missing. Oliver went out into the backyard and started playing with Lucky and one of his toys, all the while trying to clear his head a little. Just a good minute later his phone started ringing. He’d never been so fast to pull it out of his pocket and look at the screen, even though the chances of Felicity calling him were slim to none.  
When Thea’s face appeared on the screen though, he quickly accepted the call.  
“Hey, dear brother o’ mine! Just wanted to let you know that I can head out sooner on friday, so I’ll probably arrive in Starling City around 2pm. Would that be alright with Felicity and you?”

She sounded so cheery and upbeat, there was no way he wanted to ruin her mood like that.  
“Speedy, I can’t talk right now. It’s kind of a bad moment.”

Thea’s cheerful voice immediately stopped, her sisterly senses picking up on Oliver’s mood right away.  
“What’s going on?” she demanded.

With a heavy sigh, he brought his sister up to speed. He didn’t want her to worry, but lying to her was off the table, especially since she and Felicity had become somewhat close friends over the last weeks and he just got her back himself.  
“I’m coming over.”

Before Oliver could protest, she had hung up, leaving him with yet another thing to worry about.  
It took Caitlin a long time to come back into the living room. He could hear muffled voices but had no idea what was being said. When she returned, her feet carried her towards the table with quick steps.  
“I’m going to see Felicity in Iron Heights,” she announced, checked her watch and grabbed her bag when Oliver jumped off the chair.

“I’m coming with you.”

Caitlin stopped putting on her coat and looked up at him.  
“That’s impossible right now. I know you want to see her, Oliver. But I’m glad they even allowed me to speak to her on such short notice. We need to figure out what exactly is going on.”

He hated it. Hated that he was so powerless while the woman he loved was sitting behind bars. But since Caitlin had managed to get a visitation right, he wasn’t about to destroy their only chances now.  
“Please tell her that I’m getting her out of there.”

With a small smile and a pat to his arm, Caitlin nodded.  
“Of course. I’ll call as soon as I’m out of there.” she threw over her shoulder and was out the door before Oliver and John could blink.  
  


John and Oliver looked at each other for a long moment.  
“What are we going to do now?”

“We are going to drive to the precinct and have a word with the arresting officers.” John announced and held up his phone. “Just got off the phone with my contact. He got me the names of both cops.”

Immediately sprinting into action, Oliver grabbed his coat and phone, ruffled Lucky’s ears one more time and gave him a little chewy treat to keep him company while they were gone. The dog didn’t even bother taking it, looking up at his owner as if he could sense something was wrong.

“Should we inform Caitlin?” Oliver asked while John pulled the SUV out of the parking lot.

“I wouldn't want to disturb her, but maybe send her a text to let her know. Just in case.”

They didn’t speak a word until they were almost at the police station. John seemed concentrated while Oliver still was sick with worry. As soon as the building came into view, though, his worry instantly changed into sharp focus.  
As soon as they approached the counter, John took the word, something Oliver was very glad about for the moment.  
“We’re looking to speak to the Officers Camden and Brant.”

An older, uniformed woman looked up and quickly assessed both men standing opposite of the counter before finally landing on John again.  
“About what matter?” she asked with a friendly, but reserved voice.

“About the arrest of a civilian this afternoon. A few hours ago, in fact.” John calmly replied.

“And I assume you are - “ the officer answered but Oliver cut her off before she could continue.

“I’m the civilians fiance.” He honestly had no idea if that would change anything, at least in hospitals it usually worked like that.

For a long moment, the woman didn’t say anything. Her squinted eyes went from Oliver back to John, who still stood beside Oliver looking completely relaxed but not any less imposing.  
With another almost incredulous look towards Oliver, she picked up the phone and dialed some numbers, her eyes never leaving the men.  
“Yeah, Tom, there are two gentlemen looking to speak to you… alright.”

Hanging up the receiver, she motioned down a narrow hallway.  
“Down the hall, second office to the left.”

John thanked her while Oliver already went on, but the woman had already dismissed them, back to typing something into her computer.  
As soon as they arrived in front of Tom Camden’s office, Oliver didn’t hesitate and stepped inside. Much to his surprise, he suddenly faced the man that held him back from getting to Felicity when they took her from him just hours ago, looking barely older than Oliver himself. The moment the officer looked up, the same recognition must’ve flashed in front of his eyes, followed by one of mild intimidation the moment John's imposing frame appeared in the door behind Oliver.  
He got right to the point.  
“I’m having a few questions about the arrest of my fiancée, Felicity Smoak.”

“Fiancée?” Now clear surprise showed on the cop’s face.

 _Yeah, fiancée, you asshole._  
And surprisingly, the more often he said it, the easier it fell from his lips. Much different than it had with Laurel. Dismissing the thought for a moment, he focused back on the cop sitting at his desk.  
“Yes, and since my father isn’t aware of that fact, I’m sure you didn’t get the memo.” he snarled at the officer, only stopping when John put a hand on his shoulder and took over the conversation.

“We’d like to have a detailed report as to why Miss Smoak has been taken into custody, why she hasn’t been granted a phone call and why no one has been informed about her sudden transfer to Iron Heights.”  
When the officer stared at him like a deer into the lights, John shot the man a pressing look. “Now, please.”

Seemingly flustered to see the two men standing in his office, already knowing about Felicity’s transfer into prison and making a demand to see the report he’d been clearly advised to keep locked up, the cop momentarily didn’t know what to do.  
He’d been an officer for barely a few months in Starling City, and when his older colleague approached him just hours ago about an arrest they’d have to make, he didn’t think any of it. Even the more than sketchy looking warrant and all the additional personal information they had been given such as the make and color of her car and the location where to find them didn’t help make any sense of this. But he was a new cop, and this was a direct order. Just like the one to keep the report hidden.  
But then these two men found themselves in his office, one of them clearly the Oliver Queen that had been named and pictured in the personal files, the man who claimed to be Miss Smoak’s fiance, and Tom Camden felt himself at a crossroads. They hadn’t told him why they were arresting her a few hours ago, much like his colleague didn’t tell her why she was being arrested. But if the roles were reversed - if his wife had been the one being arrested - he would’ve demanded answers as well.

With a heavy sigh, he pulled a key from his pocket and opened the top drawer of his desk.  
“This is gonna cost me my job,” he mumbled to himself while rummaging through the drawer.

“I’m fairly certain this might be the only chance to save it.” John replied with a firm voice when the officer looked up and handed him a thin, yellow folder. Without missing a beat he opened it and quickly skimmed through the report before handing it to Oliver so he could see for himself.

“My father and my ex-fiancée are pressing charges against her? You’ve got to be shitting me.” he growled and turned around to face the cop again who still sat at his desk, his posture still even though he now looked a lot more uncomfortable than just a few minutes ago when they walked in.  
“Why haven’t I been made aware of that when you arrested her? You clearly knew who I was back then, so why didn’t you tell me?” he snapped.

The officer couldn’t help but helplessly shrug a little.  
“We were given explicit instructions. One of them was to not give any information to her, and especially not to you should we meet you with her.”

Oliver was furious with rage, even though he didn’t really know who to direct it at. The officer, for not telling him right away that his father was behind this; or at his father, for instigating his most despicable move yet.  
“Why has she been transferred to Iron Heights so fast? She didn’t even get to call anyone.” John asked, anger in his voice now also evident.

“Another order. My colleague told me we had to take her to Iron Heights as quickly as possible. That’s all I know.” he shrugged again.

“Who made these orders?” Oliver demanded while John turned his back on them, discreetly taking a few pictures of the files.

Now the cop was getting visibly more agitated.  
“I don’t know. This is my first month at this precinct, and I certainly don’t question my captain’s orders. This was a job to be done, so we did it. Did the details about this arrest confuse me? Yeah, sure, but not enough to question any orders. Now please hand back the file and step out of my office. I already told you more than I was authorized to. You can find your fiancée at Iron Heights, Mr. Queen, that is all I can tell you.”

John closed the file, sent Oliver a look that said they were all good and handed it back to the officer. Without another word, Oliver left the office, but John stopped and turned around once more.  
“Just a word of advice, Officer Camden… you’re still new enough at this precinct to figure out the few good apples from the many bad ones. I would do that, if I were you. Have a good day.” With a wordless nod towards the stunned looking officer, John shut the door behind himself and followed Oliver out of the precinct.

 

“I knew it, I knew it, John! My fucking father! Fucking Laurel!” Oliver yelled so loud the moment they shut the doors of his SUV that two passing officers stopped and stared for a moment.

“Calm down, Oliver.” John spoke with a level voice. They definitely didn’t need to cause a ruckus in the parking lot of the police department. “We now know who issued the arrests. And maybe luck is on our side in this.”  
At John’s assuring words Oliver looked at him with a confused frown.  
“I’m pretty sure we have one of the few good officers in our pocket with Camden, if he doesn’t decide to do anything stupid. Let’s wait and see what Caitlin find out.” John explained.

There wasn’t much to argue for him so he sighed and nodded. John drove the car back to their place where Oliver promptly sat down and began rummaging through the files and documents again. John made a quick detour to get some pizzas so they wouldn’t have to work on empty stomachs.

With several boxes in hand he made the steps up to Felicity’s apartment when Caitlin intercepted him.  
“I got a text from Oliver that you went to the police station?” she asked, a visible frown on her face, momentarily covering the exhaustion that even her decent makeup couldn’t hide any longer. They were all exhausted but John doubted sleep would overcome them any time soon.

“Yeah, I got a contact in the precinct and had him get me the names of the two arresting officers. Turns out one of them is apparently a newbie at the precinct while the other one seems to be knee deep in Mr.Queen’s pocket. I managed to take some pictures of Felicity’s file, I thought that might help you.”

A small, grateful smile crept up on Caitlin’s face.  
“That’s actually a smart move. Though we won’t be able to use any of that in court, it can at least get us a good knowledge of what’s really going on.”

“So how did your visit with Felicity go? Did they let you see her?”

With a heavy sigh, Caitlin nodded.  
“She’s a mess. No one is telling her what’s going on, she doesn’t get any phone calls granted and I even had to threaten several high standing officials in that prison to be allowed to even talk to her. I have no idea what’s going on with Oliver's father and all that but I know that we need to get her out of there, and that quick. If I tell Oliver in what bad shape she is he’s going to freak out. I don’t even need to know him that well to see how much he’s in love with her.”

Now it was John’s turn to frown.  
“Stick to the minimum in details then. He’s going to be so focused on getting her out of there, maybe we can count on that.”

With another heavy sigh, Caitlin nodded and walked up the stairs when John motioned for her to go ahead. The smell of pizza wasn’t even intoxicating for her any more, even though she hadn’t eaten since leaving her office several hours ago.

With the pizza cartons deposited on the kitchen counter, John prepared them all a plate while Caitlin brought them up to speed. The second she entered the apartment with John, Oliver had been hanging on her, eager to get as much information out of her as possible.

“At first they wouldn’t let me see her, trying to tell me I needed to stick to visitation times and register days in advance for that, the usual yadda yadda. When I told them I’m her lawyer they looked a little confused at first. They then told me Felicity had been provided with a court-appointed defense lawyer since she didn’t name one herself.”

Oliver snorted and shook his head, the half eaten slice of pizza shoved to the end of the table. Clearly neither of the group was hungry enough to eat at that moment.

“Why should she do that? Even if she didn’t ask you, Felicity is smart. She would’ve come up with someone else rather than having some strange court-appointed lawyer defending her.” John wondered.

“They didn’t ask her.”

“What?”  
Oliver sat straight up, his eyes blazing with anger. It mirrored what John felt inside, even though he already worried something like that might have happened.

“They didn’t ask her. Just provided her with a lawyer before even speaking a word to her. And that lawyer, as I found out while waiting for them to get things handled, was currently out of state on vacation. Felicity would’ve been stuck in prison for at least 3 more weeks before that idiot even returned into his office. And I'm going out on a limb here and guess that this lawyer was someone your father picked.” she spoke and looked directly at Oliver.

Oliver growled and mumbled to himself, his teeth gnawing in anger.

“Don’t worry,” Caitlin tried to calm him. “I already got that handled. When I threatened to take that whole farce directly to the county court judge they finally agreed to check back with Felicity and replace me as her lawyer if she so wishes.”  
When Oliver was about to speak up, Caitlin cut him off.  
“All good, I was in the room with her when they asked her.”

“How is she doing?”  
He was almost afraid to hear the answer to that. Even though it was just a few hours since she had been taken, he couldn’t begin to imagine how she must feel, without even knowing what was going on around her.

Caitlin quickly glanced over to John before facing Oliver again.  
“She’s holding up, but she’s very confused, of course. No one is talking to her, which is what probably freaks her out the most. But she told me to tell you that she loves you and doesn’t want you to worry yourself sick over her.” Caitlin added with a sad smile.

He felt like he wanted to cry. His brave woman was telling him not to worry about something that was entirely his fault.  
Getting his nerves in check he balled his hand to a fist under the table before facing the other two people sitting at the table with him - two people that might become his only ally in the fight against his father.  
“We need to get her out of there.” It sounded like a mantra by then, but it was the main factor that kept him running.

“We will, Oliver.” Caitlin assured him with a small, tired smile. She also looked thoroughly exhausted, he realized, but after the extensive travels she had made that day to get to Starling City, he really couldn’t blame her. They were all tired, even Lucky, who had spent most of the day without them. But all their exhaustion and tiredness paled in comparison to what Felicity must’ve been feeling at that moment; alone in a prison cell, without knowing what was going on or if - and when - she might get out again. That was what broke Oliver in the end, not the exhaustion of running around all day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll _try_ and get the next chapter posted on friday, but I can't guarantee that yet. Still working as fast as humanly possible at the moment! ❤


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!  
> First of all, I have to apologize that it (once again) took me so long to post another chapter. In between hospital stints my laptop also stopped cooperating JUST when I was ready to post another chapter, so I had to wait another week for it to get fixed. Now I'm out of hospital for a while and have my beloved computer back, and I'm ready to finally continue with this story. I can't promise to have the next chapter up this friday, but I'm working my butt off. :)
> 
> I probably missed posting a chapter every friday just as much as you guys did!

Caitlin was just making a few calls with her assistant to let her know she’d be out of office until further notice when the doorbell rang. John looked a little surprised but Oliver quickly followed the frantically barking Lucky to the front door.  
Opening it, Thea immediately stepped inside and embraced her brother in a tight bear hug.

“It’s so good to see you, speedy.” he mumbled into her hair and quickly returned the hug. Up until that moment he hadn’t realized how much he missed his sister and how having her by his side gave him the strength he so much needed.

Stepping back from her brother so she could give Lucky a quick rub and get rid of her coat and backpack, Thea stepped into the living room, to find John and Caitlin huddled together over the paper-covered the table, deep in conversation. The moment John looked up though, conversations ceased entirely.

After introductions had been made and Lucky had been petted for a bit, Thea turned to face her brother again.  
“So what can I do? How can I help?” she asked, rubbing her hands, a look of eager determination on her face.

Oliver immediately shook his head.  
"I’m not going to involve you in this, Thea. This is already way out of control with Felicity involved, I’m not going to drag you into this as well.”

His resistance merely made her smile.  
“I’m a Queen, I’ve been born into this mess, Ollie.” she waved him off. “Besides, Felicity is my friend, too, and if she’s in trouble thanks to our dear daddy-o, then I sure as hell am going to help getting her out of there.”

If he was honest with himself, he could need more hands and especially focused brains in this. With a resigned sigh, he nodded once and motioned for her to have a seat at the table.  
“I think it’s best if you worked through all the information Felicity has gathered about Dad and Laurel. I doubt you’re even aware of half the stuff they have done over the years. Then we can sit together with Caitlin and figure out if you can help in any way.”

Thea nodded once, disappeared into the kitchen to pour herself a coffee and got to work. Part of him was nervous about the things his sister was about to read, with the many disturbing things his father had done that she had no idea about. But if she wanted to help, and if he wanted her completely in the know, then she needed to read it all, even if it pained him.

 

By 10pm they were still all camped out in Felicity’s living room. It had gotten almost dead silent in the room except for the fireplacce crackling in the background, with the casual cough or shuffle of papers, everyone working their way through the stacks of files or - in Caitlin’s case - researching options on how to get Felicity out of prison the fastest way.  
When exhaustion became evident on all their faces, John was the one officially calling it a night.  
“We all need some rest.” he reasoned when Oliver motioned for them to head to bed while he wanted to do some more research. “Even you. Especially you, Oliver.”

Oliver wanted to protest, but he knew John was right. They all needed some rest, especially with everything ahead of them the following day.

With Caitlin retreating to the guest room upstairs, Thea stood a little helplessly in the living room.  
“Do you have a spare blanket and pillow I can use?” she asked, eyeing the couch.

“I have free guest room you could use.” John offered and after sharing a quick look with her brother, she immediately agreed. A bed sounded heavenly right now.

With everyone retreated to their rooms and Lucky camped out at the foot of the bed, silence finally fell over the large house. Not so much in Oliver’s head, though. Despite the exhaustion that whacked his body, sleep didn’t come easily for him. So many thoughts were running through his mind, with all of them circling around Felicity. Ever since moving together he hadn’t spent a single night without her and Lucky seemed equally confused by the sudden lack of a sleeping partner beside them.

He tossed and turned for several hours, unable to even find a comfortable position or to shut up his mind for a bit. Around 3am, exhaustion finally pulled him into a restless sleep.

 

 

When John and Thea came over with breakfast the next morning, Oliver was already sitting at the dining table, completely lost in the numerous files in front of him. Though he didn’t seem to read or study any of them. John guessed he must’ve read each of these files at least 5 times by then, but for some reason Oliver couldn't stop analyzing everything, as if reading it for the 6th or 7th time would finally spit out a magical solution.  
Noticing his friend and sister in the kitchen, he looked up, pulled out of his concentration for a moment.

“How long are you up?” John asked and set out several coffee mugs, ready to get breakfast into everyone’s stomach before work would be calling again.

“Not that long.” Oliver shrugged.

John could see that his friend barely must’ve slept the night before. Not that he could blame him. But after the last day they all had, he was hoping that a night of restful sleep would give Oliver some much needed energy back. But the opposite seemed to have happened.

Caitlin returned downstairs just minutes later, looking much more refreshed than Oliver. Well, at least one of them got some much needed rest that night.  
After a very quick breakfast Oliver excused himself to take Lucky for a walk, leaving John, Caitlin and Thea to their own for a bit.  
“This wears heavily on him, you can feel it.” Caitlin worried while typing away on her computer.

“He blames himself.”

“But that’s bullshit!” Thea argued. “It’s our father’s doing, and Ollie knows it! After all the shit I’ve got to read last night it takes a hell out of me not to drive to QC and kick my father’s ass.” she grumbled.

John couldn’t hide the grin that spread on his face.  
“You two are definitely siblings.”

Thea grinned back at him, the anger at her father momentarily forgotten.  
“So what are we gonna do?”

Caitlin was silent for a little longer while she typed away on her laptop. The moment she finished whatever she was doing though, she snapped it shut and looked at the two pairs of eyes trained on her.  
“I’m having an appointment in two hours with someone that owes me a favour. Let’s hope what I’m about to ask of him won’t be too much.”

Now John’s interest was piqued.  
“And who would that someone be?”

“County judge Mark Garrison. We can’t risk bringing this to some judge’s attention that could also be in Robert Queen’s pockets. And as long as we don’t exactly know that, I’m not going to take any risks. Which is why I’m calling in a favour with the highest instance possible. Let’s just hope that we have enough evidence to pull the ground from under the feet of everyone involved. That’s the only chance we have right now, so we need to make sure it sticks.”

“Is there anything I can help with?” John offered and Thea immediately answered that with an eager nod in Caitlin's direction.

“Just make sure Oliver stays on his two feet and doesn’t do anything stupid.” she smiled slightly and emptied her coffee mug.  
“I should go get ready, it’s quite the drive to Pennytown if I get into the rush hour.”

Thea also got up from her spot.  
“And I’m going to pay my mother a visit. I need to go get some fresh clothes anyway.”

That got John’s attention.  
“Are you sure that’s a good idea now? We still don’t know if your mother deliberately helped getting Felicity arrested.”

With a small but firm smile she looked up at him.  
“Which is exactly why I need to visit my mother and feel her out a little. She has no idea I’m staying with Ollie right now and I’m going to keep it that way. I just want to know if she is involved in this or not. This isn’t only about Felicity, John.” Thea sighed. “After the shit I’ve got to read last night, all the things my father has done to Ollie in the past… I just need to know if she had a hand in this, too.”

He could understand that all too well.  
“Just make sure you have your phone ready, should something come up. Will you let Oliver know?”

“I think it would be better if I didn’t tell him for now. He would either try and stop me, or insist on coming with me and neither would help the cause. I won’t be longer than an hour or two, though. I’ll tell him then.” she spoke while putting on her coat.

John inhaled deeply, his eyes following Thea’s every motion.  
“He will ask where you are once he comes back and finds everyone gone.”

Thea pondered John’s words for a moment. She didn’t want him lying to Oliver, but waiting until he came home so she could let him in on her plan was out of the question, too.  
“I’ll text him once I’m on the road.”

That seemed to ease John's mind for a bit.  
“Alright,” he nodded. “Be careful.”

   
  


The walk with Lucky gave Oliver the chance to enjoy the silence for a moment and ponder his next moves. As long as Caitlin didn’t contact them with any news from the judge, there wasn’t much he could do, but waiting was the last thing Oliver had on his mind. He just couldn’t sit around doing nothing while Felicity sat in prison because of him. But he also knew that, since he was dealing with his father here, he needed to very carefully plan his next steps. Any wrong or rushed move could mean harm to Felicity and the thought of getting her out of prison safely was the only thing on his mind.  
He thought about talking to his mother but what good would that do? Aside from throwing mean insults at each other - because Oliver had clearly gotten the vibe that his mother didn’t approve of Felicity - there wouldn’t be anything he could gain from a conversation with his mother.  
If not for John, and Caitlin, and even Thea, he probably had no idea what to do other than barging into Iron Heights and demanding Felicity be let out.

Making a mental note to thank every single one of them as soon as all this was over, Oliver walked up the steps to the apartment when his phone rang. Seeing his sister’s face made him furrow a brow for a moment.  
“What’s up? I’m just about to head back in.”

“Just wanted to let you know I’m paying mom a visit.” Thea announced and Oliver could hear car noises in the background. A quick glance down the road showed her car gone.

He was just about to say something when she interrupted him.  
“And before you start to argue with me, Ollie, I’m not going to tell her that we are working together, or that I'm staying with you. I just want to know if she really has a hand in all this. After everything I had to read last night I need to know.”

He could hear the strain in her voice. And who else but him could relate better to her words? It were the very same thoughts he had, only his visit at the mansion would probably mean a lot more yelling and snapping at his parents. And since Thea had said she wanted to be an integral part of the team, this was probably the best thing she could do.  
“Alright,” he sighed, much to his own surprise. “Just don’t reveal anything we are working on, kay? I’ll text you as soon as we got any news.”

That left just Oliver and John in the apartment. And after the last two days he had he appreciated the silence in the apartment.  
With John’s help they stacked away all the files and cleared up the mess in the living room. It would probably be a few more hours before Caitlin got back and with almost everyone gone, John also excused himself for an hour to clear something work-related.  
“I probably should get back to work, too.” Oliver sighed. “There isn’t much I can do right now, anyway.” Not that he would be able to focus on work a lot, but maybe the distraction could help him a little. And with his business still so young, he really couldn't afford to lose any customers.

 

 

Thea was the first to arrive back home. With Oliver still gone she had no chance to get into the apartment, so she went to grab some coffees and donuts for everyone. John returned just minutes later, followed by Oliver walking down the street with quick steps as soon as he saw the cars piling back into the parking spots.  
He just greeted John and watched Thea park the car when his phone beeped with a text message from Caitlin. Talk about good timing.  
_‘On my way back now with good and bad news.’_

He had no idea what to make of that cryptic message, only that his heart flipped a beat at the possibility of the good news having to do with Felicity’s release.

“I hope the donuts are not to soothe me because you’re about to tell us something nasty,” Oliver remarked when he saw his sister carrying up a large box.

She answered him with a quirked eyebrow and marched right past him into the living room. John had the first donut polished away before she even got the chance to speak.  
“I can’t say for certain but I’m pretty sure mom has no idea what’s been going on,” she began and Oliver was instantly all ears, the sugary treats on the table long forgotten.  
“I didn’t say anything at first, just acted like I was paying her a surprise visit and she was happy to see me at first but it was clear she was somewhere else with her head. When I asked her what was up, she told me you had visited her with your girlfriend and that she fears dad might have something to do with trouble that your girlfriend is facing right now.”

“Yeah, ‘trouble’,” Oliver huffed with a shake of his head. “She makes it sound like Felicity is facing a slap on her wrist for getting caught with her hand in the cookie jar.” he snapped.

Thea took a step closer to him and placed a hand on his arm.  
“Ollie, I’m pretty sure mom still has no idea what’s really going on. She didn’t say a peep about prison, or that she even remotely knew what was going on, only that she’s worried sick. And I have to say, I believe her.”

His sister’s words floored him for a moment. She had always been the better judge of character than he was. So if she said she believed their mother, maybe he should do so, too?  
“Then why hasn’t she called me? If she’s worried so much she could’ve gotten answers from me.”

“You didn’t give her your number, Ollie.” Thea replied matter-of-factly, a knowing smile playing on her lips. “And besides, would you have answered her?”  
His silence was answer enough for them both.  
“Thought so.” she winked. “But for what it’s worth, I told her I’d let you know to give her a call as soon as we spoke again. Which I’ve done now. Call her.” she threw over her shoulder, settled on the couch and stuffed a chocolate covered donut into her mouth, all under the watchful eyes of Lucky.

 

Pushing the plans to call his mother to the back of his mind, he decided to wait for Caitlin’s return first. Hearing what she had to say was more important to him at the moment than talking to his mother. Anything that could help solve this case and get Felicity back into his arms would take priority now.  
Luckily, he didn’t have to wait too long and the moment the front door bell rang, all hell broke loose in the Smoak - Queen household. Lucky barreled to the door, barking loudly, closely followed by an equally jittery Oliver. Only John and Thea remained sitting in the living room.  
Caitlin barely had the chance to hang her coat on the rack and kick off her boots when Oliver bombarded her with questions.

“Let’s sit down first,” she tried to reason but her words made Oliver only more nervous. Sitting down never meant something good, it meant he was about to hear things that would make him weak in the knees.

As soon as everyone was seated at the round table, Caitlin addressed Oliver directly.  
“It went better than I first guessed,” she started and while everyone else breathed a loud sigh of relief, Oliver waited for the other shoe to drop. “but it’s not like we can barge in there and free her within the next 2 hours.”

To John and Thea this seemed to make total sense, but Oliver’s face fell at Caitlin’s words.  
“Judge Garrison agreed that the way this whole arrest has been handled was completely wrong. At first he wanted to blow me off by suggesting I take that to the judge in Starling City’s jurisdiction but when I explained to him that we fear a good number of Starling’s police force and judges might be indirectly involved in this, his interest in this case entirely changed.”  
If not for the tiny smile playing on Caitlin’s lips, Oliver would have still held his breath in worry.  
“We are already working on getting Felicity out of there as we speak. In fact, -” she looked down at her watch, “you need to get ready because you and I are going to speak with her in exactly 47 minutes.”

Before Caitlin even had finished her sentence, Oliver was already up the stairs. Making sure he was dressing appropriately, Caitlin took a few steps to the stairs and called up  
“Put on a suit. You’re coming as my assistant.”

He returned downstairs 10 minutes later, looking sharp in his suit and white button down. Deciding to forego the tie, he grabbed his coat, hugged his sister and was out the door, following Caitlin to her car. The fact that he was about to see Felicity again had him so worked up that he put on two mis-matching socks, hadn’t shaved and even forgot to say goodbye to Lucky and John, but neither of that was important to him right now. Only the fact that he would see the woman he loved again in a few minutes was what kept him going.

 

Since neither John nor Thea had much left to do at the moment, John excused himself to his own apartment to take care of some piled up work while Thea started cleaning Felicity’s kitchen. She really didn’t want the woman to come home and find a mess in her apartment that 4 adults and a dog had graciously left her.  
Lucky seemed more and more confused by the commotion in his home, and the several people coming and going as they pleased. Thea found him watching her with interest while she cleaned the kitchen, even though he kept a few feet between them.  
“Everything’s going back to normal very soon, little man, don’t you worry.” she spoke to him but other than his ears perking up and his head tilting to the side, the dog didn’t seem to have much to say in response.

 

Just when Caitlin pulled up to the visitor parking lot of Iron Heights, she spoke up for the first time since they sat in the car together.  
“Alright, here’s a quick run-through for you. Should anyone ask, you’re an intern and will assist me in this case. No one should bother you but just in case someone might ask questions.”

“Won’t they recognize my face or name?”

“Even if they did,” she shrugged, “who says Oliver Queen shouldn’t be allowed to become a lawyer one day?”

It didn’t reassure him much but since Caitlin was already out of the car, there wasn’t much time to dwell on it. He quickly followed her, straightened out his suit and accepted the folder she handed him. He didn’t bother checking its contents, all that mattered to him was seeing Felicity.  
They were buzzed through a couple of doors before two prison guards patted them down and sent them into a small waiting room.

At that point Oliver couldn’t stand still any longer. He nervously swayed from one foot to the other, his fingers fidgeting with the edge of the folder. Caitlin seemed her calm and casual self, stark different to him.  
When they heard a buzzer in an adjoining room, followed by some commotion and muffled voices, Caitlin cleared her throat and straightened her spine. Seconds later the door to their left opened and a prison guard motioned for them to enter.

The moment Oliver spotted Felicity sitting at the small table in the center of the room, all rational thought left him and he stormed over to her. She barely had the time to get up from the chair when Oliver wrapped her tightly in his arms, crushing her to his chest.  
“I’m going to get you out of here, baby. I swear I’m going to get you out of here.” he whispered into her neck just when the prison guard forcefully pulled them apart.

“No physical contact, Sir.”

He wanted to punch that guard in the face, he really did. But when Felicity’s tired and exhausted smile reached him, he knew it would cause only more trouble for her. He reluctantly took a seat next to Caitlin just when she sat down as well, his watchful eyes never leaving the woman sitting opposite of him.  
“It’s so good to see you.” Felicity spoke with a thin, barely there voice. From the look on her face Oliver guessed she hadn’t slept the last two nights, let alone eaten anything. He wanted nothing more than to wrap her in his arms and carry her home and then never let her leave again.

“How are you holding up?” Caitlin asked while setting up several documents between them.

Felicity spared the tiniest of a glance toward Oliver before lowering her head again. “I’m alright.” she shrugged, but Oliver could see it was a barefaced lie that she didn’t even manage to cover very well. Caitlin didn’t give him any time to question her further on it, though.

“I spoke to an out of state judge about the case, to make sure we aren’t catching another judge deep in anyone’s pocket. Since judge Garrison doesn’t have the chance to speak with you personally, you basically just have to sign these documents verifying that everything I told him is true and we should have you out of here within the next 48 hours.”

Felicity stared wide eyed at her friend.  
“Just like that?”

Her confused question baffled Caitlin for a second.  
“Honey, with that shitload of wrong that has been done to you in the last few days, of course we’re going to get you out of here ‘just like that’.” Caitlin laughed softly. “Of course there’s still a ton of things to handle afterwards, but right now our only concern is to get you back home.”

His hands itched to reach over and grab hold of one of Felicity’s hands, to show support and finally feel her again after being separated for so long, but he didn’t dare risk catching the guard’s attention again. So he kept watching her, forcing a smile that wasn’t honest every time Felicity looked over at him, willing her to be strong for just a little longer.  
“John and Thea are waiting for you at home." he assured her. "They all wanted me to tell you they can’t wait to have you back. Oh, and I spoke to your colleague, Katie. She’ll cover for you as good as she can at work.”

That seemed to visibly relax her. Taking a deep breath, she put on a mask of professionalism and focused on the documents in front of her.  
“Alright, what do I need to do?”

 

Within 20 minutes, Caitlin had explained every document and rehashed the conversation with the judge for Felicity as good as possible. Just when she put the pen down after signing the last document, the guard stepped forward, announcing the end of the visitation time. Caitlin only squeezed her hand with a supportive smile, but Oliver took the chance and placed a way-too-short kiss on her lips before the guard could step between them.  
“One more night. I promise you, Felicity. One more night and all this will be over.” he promised her, a look of fierceness in his eyes, willing her to believe him.

But the smile that she sent him in reply was a weak, almost fake one.  
“It will never be over, Oliver. Not with your father’s connections.”

He knew she was right, and it broke him just as much as it did her. When the guard led her toward the door and out of the room, Oliver could only stare after her. It shattered him how much of a toll the last 48 hours had visibly taken on her. It was just another reason for him to stop his father’s machinations once and for all, so things like that would never happen to him and anyone close to him ever again.

 

 

In the end, it took them a little over 12 hours to get her out of Iron Heights. Oliver barely had time to jump into the Mini Cooper and speed over to the prison after he got the call shortly after 8 in the morning, to make it there on time for her release. Caitlin would probably get angry if she heard he went without her, but there was no way he’d wait another 30 minutes for her to get ready. Even forgoeing his morning walk with Lucky, he threw on his clothes in record time and was out the door before anyone noticed.  
He found himself anxiously waiting in front of the large main entrance to Iron Heights, hoping every time he heard the buzzer of a door that his Felicity would emerge. When she finally did, he was out of the car and had her in his arms within 2 seconds.  
“I’ll never let anyone take you away from me again.” he mumbled into her hair, peppering her head with kisses while she practically wrapped herself around him.  
The outfit she wore was wrinkled and stained, and he recognized it as the one she had worn the day they visited his mother. Her hair was matted and she didn’t smell like her unique self, but none of that mattered to him. The most important thing was having her out of prison and back in his arms.  
“Now let’s get you home.”

Home.  
That word seemed to bring her back to the present. With a tired but honest smile, she nodded and loosened her embrace from him, enough for Oliver to turn them and walk back to the car. Safely tucked into his side, no place she’d rather be after the worst 48 hours in her life.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!  
> Sorry for the radio silence. I'm still here and swear I haven't forgotten this story. I'm just too unwell to sit at the computer most of the time lately. But I'm confident it'll get better some time.  
> This chapter is mostly unedited, but I still hope it's not too full of mistakes. If you find any, please let me know and I'll edit them ASAP.
> 
> Thank you for all your sweet & lovely comments! I read them all and do appreciate them, even though I don't find the time to respond to them all lately.

Being back in her familiar surroundings, in the company of her close friends, took all the heavy thoughts off Felicity’s mind for a while. And even though she was incredibly tired, having slept barely two hours each night in prison, and with her stomach grumbling loudly, she still wanted nothing more than to sit on her couch, holding a warm mug of tea in her hands, Lucky in her lap, sitting safely tucked into Oliver’s arms while Caitlin, John and Thea brought her up to speed about the last few days. And even though her head was pounding from the lack of sleep and overflow of information, she didn’t dare interrupt her friends or kick them out. They all seemed too excited to have her back that she just smiled and sipped on her tea instead. There would be plenty of time for sleep later.

“Judge Blevins would still like to speak with you about a few things,” Caitlin said after a while, bringing her focus back on the topic that was still very much present, even though she was out of prison now. Felicity shifted uncomfortably in Oliver’s lap, not that she would deny her friend anything. Had it not been for Caitlin and the judge’s help, she would probably still sit behind bars with no help or support whatsoever. But she also couldn't help the feeling that she’d rather leave everything behind and never think about it again. Back when she decided to help Oliver defy his father and started digging up more and more disturbing facts about the man, she’d known to be cautious and tread lightly. But never in her wildest dreams had she anticipated the arm of Robert Queen reaching so far as to throw her in jail within the blink of an eye. If anything, it definitely taught her a lesson on how to be more careful.  
But then again they had gotten everything they’d been hoping for - Laurel was moving out of Oliver’s apartment, Oliver was getting officially out of QC. So her short stint in prison was a small price to pay for her. That was, if all these arrangements were still on, of course. She made a mental note to ask Oliver about it as soon as it was a little quieter in their place.  
So if it took another conversation with the judge who helped her out of prison to finally bring closure to everything that had happened in the last 3 days, then she would do it no questions asked.

After a while, Oliver could feel her fall asleep in his lap. Caitlin, Thea and John seemed to notice as well and made sure to leave the apartment on silent feet. Oliver told Caitlin to take his keys, should she want to head out and spend some more time with John and Thea but since everyone had been up on their feet from the early dawn, they all decided to call it an early night and head to bed. Caitlin and Thea took Lucky for another walk, something Oliver was very grateful for. He’d neglected his furry friend for far too long but now that Felicity was back in his arms, he was going to take care of them both.

Taking off her clothes as carefully as possible so she wouldn’t wake up, he wrapped her under the covers and slipped in behind her. The moment his arm wrapped protectively around her waist and her entire back pressed into his chest, it felt like a heavy weight was lifted off him. All the tension and stress from the last days fell away when he was finally able to tuck Felicity into his body again.  
He pressed a soft kiss to her shoulder, tucked her head under his chin and fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

 

The smell of coffee wafting through the entire house was what pulled Oliver out of sleep the next morning. Felicity was still dead to the world, slumming contently on his shoulder, half of her body wrapped over his. It would’ve made him chuckle, had he not worried he might wake her in the process. As slowly as possible he slid out from under her, took a lightning quick shower and followed the delicious smell through the house. Since Lucky was already out of bed as well, he guessed that either Caitlin or John must have started breakfast downstairs.

Coming downstairs to a room full of people was still something he had to get used to. With Caitlin and Thea raiding the fridge, John had been set with the task to set up the table. Lucky was already munching away on his breakfast bowl.  
It was clear how much weight had been lifted off everyone’s shoulders now that Felicity was back home. The tension that had been in the room the days before was gone almost completely. Thea and Caitlin joked and laughed with each other and even John cracked a smile every now and then. And while he would’ve loved to sit at the table with them, Oliver was a man on a mission this morning.  
“You’ll only need to set up 3 plates,” he spoke when entering the living room, making John look up with a questioning glance. “I’m bringing Felicity breakfast in bed.”

That seemed to snap his sister out of her conversation with Caitlin.  
“Is she not feeling well?” came the question out of the kitchen, concern edged into his sister’s features. Caitlin looked equally worried for a moment.

“No,” he replied with a small smile and started setting up the breakfast tray while he spoke. “I just want to surprise her with breakfast in bed.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s guy code for morning sex,” Thea mumbled with a grin in Caitlin’s direction, who couldn’t help but snicker.

Oliver sent his sister an annoyed look but otherwise didn’t grace that with an answer.

“Are you going to hole her up in your bed all day, or are we going to see her today, too?” Thea kept pressing, her patented smirk on her lips.

This time Oliver actually looked away from the open fridge and turned towards his sister.  
“After the last few days she has had, I think we all agree that it’s only fair for her to set the pace for today. Let her sleep in, have breakfast and a shower and I’m sure then she can’t wait to come downstairs to chat with you all.”

Oliver’s words, along with the firm look on his face seemed to do the trick for his sister. With his tray all loaded up, he made his way upstairs and back to his sleeping beauty.

With the tray set at the foot of the bed, he crawled back under the blankets to her.  
“Good morning,” he murmured into her hair and snuggled her close into his side when she started to wake up. But other than an incoherent mumble and an arm thrown around his chest, Felicity didn’t make a move to open her eyes.

“I smell coffee.” she mumbled into his chest after a while and Oliver couldn’t help but chuckle softly. Reaching over, he grabbed her mug from the tray and placed it right under her nose.

“Just the way you like it.”

She leaned up on one arm and took the mug from his hand.  
“Careful, I could get used to this kind of spoiling every morning.”

Nothing he wouldn’t do for her.  
“How did you sleep?”

Felicity sat up and scooted next to him against the headboard.  
“Better than the last two nights. Though I still feel like I could sleep another day and it still wouldn’t be enough.” she told him between sips. “But I’m pretty sure I smell like a wet dog, and I need to call Ray and find an explanation of my sudden absence and total lack of notification beforehand.”

“First things first,” Oliver interrupted her small morning ramble and reached over the bed, putting the tray over her lap. “Eat. You can’t face the day on an empty stomach.”

 

Half an hour later Felicity made her way downstairs, scrubbed clean of any remnants of her last two nights in prison. The dress she had worn during her arrest and release had went straight into the trashcan. She most definitely wasn’t interested to wear this piece of fabric ever again, not with the negative memories it carried. Dressed in a pair of jeans and a loose sweater, she made her way downstairs to where her friends were very animatedly chatting.

As soon as she stepped into the living room, though, the room fell silent and 4 pairs of eyes fell on her. In the end, Lucky was the one that broke the tense silence by barreling towards her, demanding his belly rubbed.  
“Good morning,” Felicity spoke with a small smile towards the group watching her. “You guys know you can act normal around me, right? There’s no need to baby me. I’ve spent two nights in prison, not a year shackled to a pipe in some psychopath’s cellar.” she joked but no one really felt like laughing.

“How did you sleep?” John broke the silence and pulled out a chair for her to join them at the table. She couldn’t remember ever having so many people seated at the rather small table but much to her surprise, she liked having some of her closest friends all in her home.

“Good, good.”  
Since no one seemed to know what to say, Felicity decided to get to the point herself.  
“So when do we have to see the judge? I’d rather get this over with sooner than later.”

Caitlin looked surprised for a moment, sent Oliver a quick glance and checked her watch.  
“Well I suppose I could give him a call and see if he has time to see us today. If you’re up for it.”

“Absolutely.” she nodded firmly.

With that, Caitlin excused herself from the table to set up an appointment. John left shortly after, needing to take care of the workload that had piled up during the last two days.  
An hour later, everyone piled into Caitlin’s car while Thea decided to stay back home and entertain Lucky until they would be back.

 

“Judge Blevins, thank you for agreeing to see us on such short notice.” Caitlin smiled when she stepped into his office, Felicity and Oliver following right behind her.

“Any time for you, my dear.” the elderly man smiled fondly and turned his attention towards the other two people in the room.  
“And you must be Miss Smoak.” he reached a hand out over his desk that Felicity immediately accepted. “I’ve heard you had some interesting few days this week.”

“I’m afraid ‘interesting’ won’t quite cover it.” she laughed softly. The judge’s relaxed and friendly appearance immediately eased the tension in her shoulders that had been a constant companion ever since they got out of the car. This was going to go a lot easier than she first anticipated.

When the judge turned his attention towards the last person in the room, Oliver took a step forward.  
“Oliver Queen.”

“Ah, Miss Smoak’s fiance.”

 _Fiance?_  
Felicity’s head whipped around, looking right at Oliver who seemed momentarily surprised himself. Quickly regaining his features, he let go of the judge’s hand and looked down at Felicity.  
“Yeah, fiance.” he spoke to the judge though his eyes never left hers.

Felicity’s eyes stayed glued to Oliver’s, trying to make sense of what he was telling her. He kept staring intently at her, the world around them long forgotten momentarily. Leaning up on her tiptoes, she pressed a quick kiss to his lips before turning to whisper in his ears.  
“I can’t wait to hear your explanation to that later.”

When everyone was seated, the judge turned his attention solely to Felicity, asking her to explain every little detail again, from the day they confronted Oliver’s father at Queen Consolidated, up to the surprising arrest on their way home from visiting Moira Queen.  
For half an hour, Felicity was the only one speaking while Caitlin and Oliver only chimed in when the judge directly asked them something.

Oliver kept his focus on Felicity sitting beside him and much to his surprise, she seemed to cope better with everything than he’d first guessed. Though her back looked ramrod straight, her fingers were relaxed, her knees weren’t bouncing and she politely answered every question the judge aimed at her. All in all Oliver was very surprised how cool she seemed right then, compared to the almost nervous wreck that had been sitting next to him on their drive over.

 

When everything had been said and done, judge Blevins shook everyone’s hand and led them out of his office. Just before they were ready to leave, the judge made Oliver stop. Sending a Felicity a quick smile and tiny nod, he waited for her and Caitlin to leave the office before he turned his attention toward the judge again.  
“I know we only briefly spoke on the phone about it but after hearing everything in detail now from Miss Smoak, I highly advise you take actions against your father, Mr. Queen. This isn’t something that should be swept under the carpet. There is overwhelming evidence - especially after the way your fiancée’s arrest has been handled. I will be happy to refer you to a few colleagues if you so wish.”

“I’ve been thinking about it for days now and if it was just me, I wouldn’t hesitate to start this process right now. But I need my fiancée with me in this, and I won’t do it without her or against her wishes.” Oliver spoke firmly.

A small, knowing smile formed on the judge’s face, his eyes momentarily wandering over to the front door through which Caitlin and Felicity had disappeared just minutes before.  
“You got yourself a good woman there, Mr. Queen. Strong head on that pretty shoulders of hers. Take your time, discuss things with her and then, if you’ve made a decision, feel free to let me know.”

With a firm handshake and a few more thoughts in his head, Oliver made his way out to Felicity and Caitlin.

She didn’t ask what the judge wanted to talk to Oliver about but he could see the wheels turning in her head. For now though, he wanted to relax for a bit, hold her in his arm while Caitlin drove them back to Starling City and then enjoy the company of his sister and their friends for a little longer. With Caitlin and Thea both leaving the next day, they didn’t really have the chance to enjoy an evening all together and he was very much looking forward to it.

In the end, Thea was the one that came up with the idea of going out for drinks. The words _‘this calls for a few celebratory shots!’_ still rang loudly in his ears when they stepped into Verdant an hour later. Even back then he couldn’t remember ever going out with a group of friends that big. Sure, there had always been an entourage of women gravitating to Tommy and him like moths to the flame, but other than his (ex) best friend, he didn’t really have permanent company. Now, John slid next to him on the bar stool, followed by Thea. Felicity took the one on his other side, with Caitlin taking the last remaining seat at the large round table. With Thea apparently still knowing each and every barkeeper in Starling City’s club scene, it didn’t take them long to have a round of drinks on the table.

“This has been long overdue!” Caitlin loudly announced over the beat of the music, her drink raised in the air.  
Everyone nodded in agreement and clinked their shot glasses with each other before downing the fiery red liquid.

“We definitely need to do that again, soon.” Thea chimed in.

“What, you mean me being arrested?” Felicity snorted.

Thea threw and crumpled napkin at her. “No, you silly. Us getting together. Gives me a reason to come to Starling City more often.”

“So visiting your brother isn’t reason enough?” Oliver deadpanned, even though a small grin was playing on his lips.

“No. But your woman and that little dog of yours sure are.” Thea shot back with a smirk.

 

After several rounds of drinks and shared stories, Thea managed to pull Felicity and Caitlin to the dancefloor for one song after the women returned from the bathroom. After another two hours they needed to call it a night, though, with Caitlin and Thea both leaving early the next morning.

That night, after Lucky had been walked and everyone had left for bed, Oliver and Felicity lay wrapped in each other in the darkness of their bedroom.  
He wasn’t sure if she had already fallen asleep when her soft voice broke the silence.  
“What did the judge want to talk to you about?”

He had planned to speak to her about it after breakfast but of course this was Felicity. As soon as they had a moment alone, he knew she would ask him about it.  
“When Caitlin arranged your release, I spoke to him about pressing charges against my father.”

Felicity turned in his arms to face him. Even in the darkness he could see her bright blue eyes looking up at him, part with surprise, part with apprehension.  
“But that means going all out again.”

“I know.”

She stayed silent for longer than Oliver was comfortable with, her eyes never leaving his as she stared up at him in the darkness.  
“Are you sure this is what you want?”

Of course that was the first thing she would ask him. Barely a week had passed since her arrest and here she was, worried only for him.  
“I am,” he nodded. He placed a kiss on her forehead and sat up a little straighter on the bed.  
“I want to take down my father once and for all, but I can’t do that without you, Felicity.”  
She looked surprised for a moment at his words, something he wanted to wipe off her face immediately. When she still didn’t say anything after a long moment, Oliver leaned down and looked her right in the eyes.  
“A few months ago, a wonderful woman taught me to stand up for myself, to fight for things I want in life, no matter how out of reach they may seem. And that is what I want to do now, Felicity. For once I want to stand up to my father to show him I’m not the pushover he raised me to be. I want a future with you, one where I don’t have to tell my children that justice won’t be served. Which is why I decided to take that beautiful woman’s words to heart and start fighting for what I want in life. And that means making my father and everyone involved pay for what they have done to you, to me, and to Ariel.”

If anything, her eyes went even wider during his speech and just when he thought he’d overdone it a little with the children comment, she thankfully pulled him out of his misery.  
“Sounds like a smart woman.” she smiled slightly, making him laugh out loud.

“Oh that she is. And a real firecracker, too. A true keeper, that one.” Oliver replied with an equal boyish grin.

With a deep breath, Felicity looked up at him again.  
“Are you really sure about this? Remember what happened the last time we tried to put him in his place.”

Grabbing her hand, he gave it a gentle squeeze.  
“Yeah but this time, we’ll come prepared.”

 

The next morning everyone piled together for breakfast one last time at Felicity’s small dining table. Thea had already packed her car and Caitlin’s bags were sitting at the front door as well. Felicity looked equally regretful to let everyone leave as Lucky did. The little dog demanded to be sitting on Thea’s lap, something Oliver would’ve forbidden but of course, Thea decided not to listen.  
After numbers had been exchanged and plans had been made for another get-together soon, Caitlin was the first to leave, having the longest drive home. John followed minutes later due to a work call, so Thea took the moment to grill her brother while she still had the time.  
“Have you spoken to mom yet?” she asked the moment John closed the front door behind him. Oliver was thankful Thea had decided to not broach that topic while the others were around, but he was still reluctant to speak about it at all.

“No. I had more important things to think about.”

“You and I both know you’re finding reasons not to call her.”  
Oliver wanted to roll his eyes and throw back a snippy comment but of course his sister was right. There had been several chances for him to sneak out on the patio and call his mother, even if only for a 5-minute conversation. But the truth was, he was still hurt about what had happened and still didn’t know his mother’s involvement in everything.  
“It has been so many years. One meager visit won’t cut it. She misses you, and is really worried right now, too. You won’t call her, so she keeps asking me. I can’t tell her, so you’re putting me in a pretty tough place right now, Ollie, you know that?”

He suspected his mother had been trying to get information through Thea, especially since he’d ignored her two calls during the last 24 hours. And while he was thankful Thea was keeping her mouth shut - as she had promised him - he knew it wasn’t fair on her.  
“I’ll call her as soon as you’re gone.” he sighed. It wasn’t that putting it off for longer would’ve made things easier, anyway.

 

Felicity had watched the conversation from the kitchen while cleaning up the breakfast utensils. She hadn’t want to eavesdrop but since Thea made no attempt to keep her voice low, she suspected it was alright to listen in. And hearing his sister’s words about their mother transported her back to that fateful day a week ago where she first met Oliver’s mom. She couldn’t say the visit had gone well, or even overly pleasant, not with the way Moira had obviously looked down on Felicity the entire time. Back when she first arrived at Iron Heights and had been pushed into the cell for the night, her mind had been wandering back and forth from the visit at his parents’ place, up to the sudden arrest just a few miles away from the house. And of course one of the first thoughts that popped into her head were of a possibility about Moira’s involvement in her arrest.  
Oliver and her hadn’t yet spoken about his mother so hearing the two Queen siblings talk about Moira missing him and worrying about what was going on made her momentarily question her earlier thoughts.

 

After Thea had left in the early afternoon, Oliver seemed very quiet. Felicity would have expected him to enjoy the silence in their home after having so many people around all day for almost a week, but to her surprise, he seemed almost lost in thoughts, staring into the amber lights of her fireplace. So much so, that he jerked back in surprise the moment her palm landed on his arm.  
“Hey,” she whispered and sat down next to him when he scooted over on the couch. “Didn’t want to scare you. You seemed a little far away.”

Wrapping his arm around her, he pulled her closer into his side. Ever since she’d gotten out of prison, Felicity had realized that Oliver was even more touchy and cuddly than before. Every chance he got he sought out physical contact to her, never keeping her far out of his reach. Even the night before, when they were out dancing, he sneaked onto the dancefloor to steal a quick kiss several times before disappearing to the table again. Felicity had no idea if he genuinely missed her or just wanted to stake a claim, but she still enjoyed it very much.  
“I was thinking about my mother.”

“Figured.”  
When Oliver quirked an eyebrow and looked down at her, she went to explain.  
“I overheard you and Thea talking about her.”

He nodded once and went back to softly stroking her hair.  
“I should call her.”

“I agree with your sister.”

That earned her a surprised look from him. Even the hand stroking her blonde curls stopped mid-stroke.  
“You do?”

Felicity sat up a little straighter, slipping out of his reach momentarily.  
“Of course I do, Oliver. She’s your mother. And what good does it do you to rack your brain over whether she had an involvement or not? Call her, and then see what your gut tells you.”

A warm, content smile spread over Oliver’s face while he stared at her. Before she could say anything else, he pulled her in his lap, wrapping her legs around his hips.  
“Sometimes I wonder how I deserve someone so smart, beautiful and compassionate like you.” he spoke softly, his deep blue eyes shining in the soft amber glow coming from the fireplace.

She didn’t know the answer to that, so she leaned down and kissed him instead.

“I missed this,” he murmured onto her lips between kisses. A tiny answering moan told him she obviously felt the same. “Wanna know what else I missed?”

With a grin, Felicity pulled back an inch and nodded down at him. Oliver slowly worked his hands under her shirt, brushing featherlight strokes along her ribcage until he reached the lacy end of her bra. Just when one hand cupped her breast, the other pulled out from her shirt and went into her hair. She could feel the sudden change in his behavior to one full of desire, and it thrilled her to no end. With a firm grip he pulled her forward, crashing his lips on hers.  
The front clasp of her bra was no match for his skilled fingers. Before Felicity could even pull back from his lips to catch her breath, Oliver had her breasts freed and rolled one of her nipples between his fingers until she let out a low whimper against his lips.  
“That exact sound… that’s what I’ve missed hearing from you.”

Oliver had never been very vocal during their lovemaking before so hearing him just then was like a switch turning in her head. Her movements got almost frantic and while he still toyed with her nipple and held her head in a firm grip, she tried to work her hands under his shirt and into his sweatpants without falling off his lap.  
After a little fumbling she managed to pull his pants and boxers down to his knees. He was already rock hard by the time she had him freed and her delicate fingers wrapped around him. That was something she had missed herself, too.  
Before she could start stroking though, Oliver had her out of his lap and set on the floor in front of him. She wanted to protest but then he pulled her pants and panties down with one swift move, flinging the garment over the couch before pulling her back into his lap.

He grabbed the back of her head and pulled her lips back on his while his other hand went straight to her clit.  
“God, you’re so wet. I can’t wait to be inside you again.”

Whatever had gotten into Oliver and made him so demanding and vocal all of a sudden, Felicity wasn’t about to complain. If anything, it just made her hotter.  
“Then don’t wait.”

He didn’t have to be told twice. Letting go of her head, he grabbed her hips, positioned her just right and let her slowly sink down on him, earning a long drawn-out moan from her.  
“This is going to be fast I’m afraid,” he told her while moving her hips up and down in his lap. “But after this I’m going to take you upstairs where we will finish this. Thoroughly.”

Oliver’s words and the fact that she hadn’t felt him inside of her for almost a week made her race towards her first orgasm in record time. She started moving her hips faster, meeting his thrusts from below her. It had never been like this between them before. Normally they took their time, thoroughly enjoyed each others bodies, not that their sex life was vanilla-only. But this almost frantic, straight-out fucking in broad daylight on her couch? This was a side of Oliver she could definitely get used to. Which was why she found herself demanding,  
“Harder!”

With a swift move, Oliver flipped them over, pressed her back into the couch and her legs over his left shoulder and started pounding into her. Each hard thrust pushed her head into the side cushion but she didn’t dare stop him or tell him to slow down. This was exactly what they both needed. Seconds later, she could feel the telltale tingle of her orgasm looming in the near distance. If the groan Oliver left was any indication, he felt it, too.  
He reached down to rub circles over her clit with his thumb.  
“Fuck, I can feel you clenching on me, Felicity.” he groaned and leaned forward and kissed her, trapping her legs between their chests. With her hip at a sharper angle and Oliver’s filthy words in her ears, it needed only a few more thrusts before she came. Oliver followed just seconds later with a deep rumbly moan.

With a sigh, his chest crashed down on her, her legs still trapped between them. Sending a thank you to her yoga instructor for torturing her through the weirdest poses every week, Felicity didn’t mind having her body wrapped in such a weird angle. Feeling his warm breath on her chest and his sweat-slicked lower body sticking to hers was everything she needed at that moment. This right there was what she missed the most in prison, being able to wrap herself around him and just feel.

“Your dog needs a girlfriend.” Felicity chuckled after a few moments of them just heavy breathing onto each other. Oliver slowly lifted his head in confusion and looked over at the fireplace towards a very eager Lucky making love to his favourite stuffed teddy. Not even his owner’s heartfelt laugh could stop the dog’s ministrations.  
“I think I should wash that teddybear.”

“You want to throw his girlfriend into the washer? How mean.” Oliver teased back with a grin, his fingers gently wiping blonde strands out of her sweaty face.  
“Let’s give him some privacy and take this upstairs.” he mumbled between kisses, earning another heartfelt chuckle from her at his words.

 

With their clothes abandoned all over the living room floor, Oliver carried her upstairs, drew them both a bath and then made good of his promise to thoroughly take care of her for the rest of the night until they practically passed out on top of each other.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!  
> First of all I need to apologize that it's taken me 5 months to get another chapter out but over christmas my recovery took a nosedive and I got even sicker than before. I'm recovering now, and I'm finally starting to feel better, but it's still a way to go. At least my health and mood has improved enough so I can finally get back to working on this story, which makes me really happy.  
> I'm very thankful for all the messages I received over the month and that there are still so many people out there that are still following this story. I always promised you I wouldn't abandon it and I won't. Things are just moving a little slower than I would like them to. :D
> 
> I had most of this chapter written before I got sick again so most of it should continue flawlessly with the storyline. If there's anything amiss or wrong, just point me to it. I still need to find back into the storyline myself at some points. :)

It shouldn’t have surprised Oliver that she came downstairs fully dressed in a nice work outfit the next morning, because of course this was Felicity. He’d caught snippets of the short phone call she’d had with her assistant Katie the night before and if the look on her face afterwards was any indication, she probably would’ve gone back to work then and there if not for Oliver and a few good arguments about leaving him alone in bed.  
“There’s probably no chance I can talk you into taking it slow for another day, can I?” he asked and prepared her travel mug while she laced up her winter boots.

“Nope,” she smiled at him. “I’ve missed way too much as it is already, and Katie can only do so much work for me. I also need to apologize to Ray and hope he won’t be too mad.” she sighed, grabbed the offered mug and took a healthy sip.

Hearing her nervous about how her boss would react did things to his protective side. He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly.  
“It’s not that being away has been your fault, Felicity,” he grumbled. “There’s no need for him to go hard on you, or even be mad at you.”

Patting his chest, she smiled up at him.  
“He won’t, don’t worry. But it’s not like me to stay away from work without any sort of notification, so I’m sure he’ll have questions. Questions I still don’t know how to answer.” she added with a small sigh.

Oliver knew protesting would be fruitless, so he just grumbled into her hair. If it were up to him, he’d keep her holed up for a few more days before letting her back out into the world. But he had a job, too, and even though his clients had been very understanding when he explained there was a family emergency, he didn’t want to test anyone’s patience, not with his business still so new. So her going to work meant he could probably get a couple things handled, too.

 

Just minutes after Felicity had left for work, John knocked on their door, dressed in his running gear. Since Oliver didn’t get the chance to workout during the last week while Felicity was gone, getting out now sounded like a stellar idea. It also gave him the chance to let John in on his plans of going against his father.

 

Deciding to get things rolling as quickly as possible, Oliver used a short lunch break between clients to give judge Blevins’ office a call. The man himself wasn’t able to speak to him personally but thankfully, his assistant was up to speed and could provide Oliver with all the information he needed. With the judge’s referral of a lawyer in Ivy Town in his pocket he went back to work, his mind full of scenarios on how a possible showdown with his father could go. And even though he wanted nothing more than to make his father pay, he already dreaded having to face him again. But this time he’d make sure to come prepared.

 

“Katie deserves a month-long vacation to the caribbean for everything she’s tackled while I was away.” Felicity groaned and plopped down on the couch. “Not that I could ever afford it.”

She had been almost two hours late when she came home, so Oliver could only guess how much work must have piled up. Kneeling down in front of her, he took one of her feet in his hands in gently began massaging the pad of her foot.  
“My god you’re heaven sent.” she groaned and sank even deeper into the couch cushions, a dreamy sigh on her lips. Oliver chuckled softly but never stopped kneading her foot. After a few minutes he changed to the other one, earning another soft groan from her. She looked ready to pass out then and there.

“How was your day? I need to ask that now before I turn into a terrible girlfriend and fall asleep on you without even bothering to ask one single question.”

He couldn’t help but laugh at that.  
“I gave Blevins’ office a call this morning,” he spoke softly, his fingers never stopping their work on her feet.

That made her lift her head and open her eyes.  
“Already?”

He nodded.  
“We’re having an appointment in Ivy Town on wednesday at five. The lawyer is apparently a personal friend of the judge but I still didn’t want to give away any information over the phone. Which is why I made the appointment in your name to not raise any suspicions, I hope that’s alright?”

It made her proud that Oliver thought so far to keep things as secret as possible until they met that lawyer in person and could figure out whether or not they could trust him. It also helped her a great deal to know this lawyer wasn’t someone local.  
“Yeah,” she nodded. “Yeah, absolutely. That was smart.”  
Wednesday. Almost two more days for her to figure out whether going against Robert Queen was really such a good idea.  
“Have you spoken to your mother yet?”  
That was something Felicity had been thinking about on her - way too short - lunch break. Even though Oliver had promised his sister to call their mother he hadn’t done that so far.

A look of annoyance quickly washed over his face.  
“Now you sound just like Thea.”

“Yeah well, because your sister is right.” she replied with a tiny shrug.  
When Oliver didn’t say anything else, Felicity decided to take over the reins. Pulling her feet out of his lap, she jumped up from the couch.  
“I’ll get dinner in the oven, you call your mother.”

Oliver wanted to laugh at that but the serious expression on her face told him she wasn’t joking. With a heavy sigh and a very pointed look in her direction, he pulled out his phone and turned towards the patio door, Lucky hot on his heels.

The call with his mother went as good as it could, considering the situation. Moira still sounded concerned about Felicity and the entire arrest, though Oliver still had no idea if her worries were genuine. He made sure to keep the conversation casual and as far away from his father as possible but his mother’s inquisitive questions made that hard. He spoke briefly about getting Felicity out of prison due to a ton of juridical mistakes in her arrest but didn’t go into much detail. Thankfully for him, Moira seemed to catch on his curt replies and tried to steer the conversation into safer topics.   
When she invited them over for dinner though, Oliver drew the line.  
“You don’t have to worry about running into your father, Oliver. He’s been working late in the office almost every day now, anyway. I just would like to have another chance on a fresh start with my son and with Felicity, and to apologize to both of you. I have already lost so many years with you.”

It all sounded fine and dandy but that didn’t mean he was ready to expose Felicity to another infamous visit of his family home, not after the last one was still so fresh on her mind.  
“I’ll call in a few days and let you know if we can arrange it.” It was probably the most vague answer her could give, but it felt better than completely blowing her off.

His mother seemed disappointed, though she only let it show for barely a second.  
“That’s all I can ask, I suppose.”  
When Oliver stayed silent, not knowing what else to say but not wanting to just end the call like that, Moira continued.  
“Oliver, just… please believe me when I say I had nothing to do with Felicity’s arrest. I didn’t even know what happened until you told me. I don’t know what your father is up to lately, but please trust me when I say I have no part in it whatsoever.”

Again Oliver had no idea what to say to that. Moira sounded genuine but he’d seen on more than one accounts in the past what his each of his parents were capable of.  
Clearing his throat, he tried to find a way to continue.  
“Yeah, well… I just wanted to call and get you up to date. We’ll talk again in a few days.”

“I would like that very much.” his mother replied before hanging up.

Getting back inside he felt more confused than before. His mother sounded so sincere and genuinely concerned, but the past events still made him nervous to trust her. And there was no chance he would let anything happen to Felicity again.

 

The following days they both found back into their daily routine. Oliver went running with John every morning, kissed Felicity goodbye when she left for work, took care of Lucky and then left for work himself. It helped him keep his mind off his father for most of the day. There would be enough time to worry about things when they spoke to the lawyer, anyway.

With Lucky parked at the neighbors, where the Shoemakers fussed over him, Oliver gathered all documents he might need and hopped into Felicity’s Mini Cooper to pick her up from work. He had never really seen her office so going up to pick her up sounded like the perfect excuse to do so. Katie beamed at him from behind her desk and immediately waved him through to her office.  
“Finally someone who might be able to pull her away from that god damned desk. She even skipped on her lunch break today. I would’ve fried my brain if I stared at a computer as much as she does.”

That sounded just like his girlfriend. When he entered the office she looked up in surprise.  
“You’re here! Wait, you’re here? Why are you here?” she shuffled around a load of papers in search of her phone.

“I knew you wouldn’t leave work early, so I’m here to pick you up. And since Katie told me you skipped lunch we’re going to get you a sandwich on the way. And then I’ll take you to dinner when we get back from Ivy Town. My woman won’t work on an empty stomach all day.”

Shooting a glare to her assistant who was innocently grinning and waving at them through the glass partition, Felicity reluctantly shut down her computers, stacked the documents and followed Oliver out of the office. That he grabbed her hand and seemed to pass her boss’s office extra slowly almost made her giggle.  
“Ray isn’t here today, you know.” she leaned over to him and whispered as soon as they stepped into the elevator. “No need to show off.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” he grumbled back but still didn’t let go of her hand.

 

The drive over to Ivy Town was filled with tension and nervous glances at each other. Oliver kept tapping on the steering wheel while Felicity skimmed through pages from the file she probably knew by heart already. It was clear they were both nervous about how the meeting with judge Blevins’ lawyer might go.

 

In the end, the meeting went way better than they could have ever anticipated. Lawyer Max Whittaker obviously had no idea at first who Oliver Queen was but got wide eyed the more Oliver shared of his story and his father’s machinations. Just like he had done with her at judge Blevins’ office, Felicity let him take the lead in the conversation and only chimed in whenever the lawyer directed a question towards her.  
“Alright, that’s a lot to cover. Let’s start with the smallest problem - getting your ex-fiancée removed from your property. I’ll have my assistant copy all documents of ownership and will have a letter in Ms.Lance’s hands by the end of the week. Given the long time she has been living in your place we need to give her at least two weeks to move out I’m afraid. I wish there was a way to speed up the process but that’s the quickest we can go without having her address the matter with her own lawyer and interfere or stall the process entirely.”

“I have a feeling she’ll do that anyway.” Oliver added with a small huff.

“She can do that, but it still doesn’t change that she’ll receive a two weeks notice to vacate the apartment. Parallel to that I’ll work my way through the array of documents about Mr. Queen and see what we can come up with. For starters I suggest stopping all form of direct contact with Mr.Queen - I assume that’s happening already.”  
That earned him a firm nod from Oliver.  
“We can only bring things to court that we can prove 100%, so not everything you told me today might help us in your case. Then there’s also the fact that you can’t share where you got some classified documents from,” he spoke and addressed Felicity with a knowing look. “And I wouldn’t suggest opening that can of worms yet regarding the blackmailing and bribery of smaller companies that Mr.Queen has been doing in the last years. I’m sure the moment you bring your father to court and the public catching wind of it the media will be all over it and things surely will fall into place soon after.  
“Also, and I hate having to say this - there’s not much we can do about your daughter’s accident, I’m afraid.”  
Felicity feared hearing something like that, but it still made her incredibly sad. Reaching over to grab Oliver’s hand, she saw the look on his face. He looked absolutely heartbroken.  
“There’s no evidence we can provide that proves your father or your ex-fiancée and her father were responsible or involved for the accident and disappearance of evidence. I would love to tell you - “

“What if we can get the barkeeper to testify Laurel had been drinking right before picking up Ariel?” Felicity interrupted the lawyer.

Oliver and lawyer Whittaker both looked at her in surprise.  
“I mean… yeah, that should definitely give us an advantage since the police files show the time the officers arrived at the scene and hospital files that could prove Ms.Lance was driving under the influence are still missing. But Miss Smoak… this has been over 4 years ago. We can’t count on a judge believing that a barkeeper remembered one woman that may have gotten drunk in his bar on a weekday several years ago.”

“And what if can provide you with video surveillance of her being there that day? Along with a statement of the barkeeper?”  
“Felicity, what are you doing?” Oliver leaned over towards her and whispered in her ear.  
She ignored him and kept talking to the lawyer. “What if I can get you the tape from that night? Will the court ask where we got it from?”

The lawyer rubbed his scruffy cheek once and leaned back in his leather chair.  
“Not if we can confirm that it’s legit, no.”

That seemed to be answer enough for her.  
“So I’ll get you this tape and the barkeeper to give his statement. Will that be enough evidence to prove Laurel Lance had at least been guilty of driving under the influence and possibly causing the accident later on?”

The lawyer rubbed his cheek in thought while Oliver still kept staring at Felicity wide eyed. He had no idea what she was doing or how she would even be able to pull off what she was promising the lawyer, but he couldn’t help but feel so much love for the woman sitting next to him at that moment - the woman fighting to right the death of his daughter - that it took a lot out of him not to hug and kiss her on the spot.  
“I would need to sight the video tape first and actually speak to that barkeeper to give a firm answer, but if you are able to produce that video and if the barman actually remembers some things of that night then I’d say yes, we’d have a good chance to get that case reopened.”

The lawyer’s words gave her the extra boost of confidence she needed. When she looked over at Oliver, she couldn’t help but give him a tiny hint of a smile and squeeze his hand once. To feel him squeeze back made her even more happy.

After arrangements had been made and all needed documents were copied, Oliver and Felicity left Ivy Town a lot more relaxed than they had entered it. Felicity didn’t feel like needing to check the files over and over again and Oliver looked a lot more calm and collected than just hours before. Just short before entering the city lines of Starling City, he made good on his promise and took her to dinner. Seated in a secluded little nook they enjoyed their italian food and took their alone time to reminisce about the meeting with their new lawyer and all the unpleasant things that would be heading their way in the near future.

When they left the restaurant two hours later, their bellies full with pasta and cannoli, Felicity was eager to get on the couch and relax for the rest of the night but a few blocks away from their home, Oliver took a left and headed somewhere else.  
She didn’t ask questions but the look on her face must have given her thoughts away.  
“I just felt like seeing Ariel’s grave.” Oliver explained with a somber voice before he got out of the car to open her door. After having to talk about her at the lawyer’s office it didn’t surprise Felicity that he wanted to visit his daughter. It warmed her heart, though, that he he so naturally expected her to come with him, when just weeks ago he very much preferred to visit her alone.

Even dressed in his only suit Oliver couldn’t help but bend down to move leaves and twigs out of the way the moment they stopped at her gravesite. Just when he felt like everything was perfectly fine he took a step back, grabbed Felicity’s hand and squeezed it tightly.  
For a long while not a single word broke through the silence of the night.  
“I wish she could’ve met you.” Oliver said after a while, his eyes never leaving the small, delicate gravestone in front of them. “I wish for a lot of things to be different.”

Without letting go of the hand holding his, she turned to face him.  
“But that’s not how life goes, Oliver. You’re strong, and you’re smart, both much more than you give yourself credit for. Don’t think about the past like that, take it as at something to learn from, so your father or Laurel or anyone else can never hurt you like that again.”

Listening to her words made him think of the battle he’d be heading into against his father soon. It once again for a moment made him question of it was the right decision.

“You’re thinking of your father, aren’t you?”  
Ever the perceptive woman he once met, Felicity of course knew his thoughts by heart.

Wrapping her in his arms, he kissed her head and inhaled the flowery scent of her shampoo.  
“I’m just worried about the things that could happen. I don’t want you in harms way again and as much as I know my father, I can’t anticipate his next moves. And that concerns me.”

Looking up from her spot on his chest, she waited for him to meet her eyes.  
“I’m not worried.”

Oliver frowned down at her.  
“How?”

“Because I’m confident we have a good lawyer on our hands. And there are people out there that are as desperate as you have been months ago, Oliver, all because of what your father has done. I think Whittaker is right, if we make the first step, others will follow. And what bigger statement could be made than Robert Queen’s own son standing up against him?”

The unwavering confidence in her voice astounded him. He knew just days ago she would have preferred to leave things the way they are. But ever since he had told her he wanted to end his father once and for all she had supported him no matter what.  
“Have I told you lately how much I love you?” he smiled down at her.

The smile lighting up her face told him he didn’t tell her nearly enough.  
“Not today.”

He placed a soft, lingering kiss on her lips before pulling to look her in the eyes again.  
“Let’s go home.”

 

The following days they didn’t hear from Max Whittaker again, but with the amount of information they had left the lawyer it didn’t surprise Oliver or Felicity about the radio silence. They both used their time to find back into their daily work flow. Oliver especially managed to catch up on several piled up jobs as well as tackling two new clients. The workload, along with his daily morning runs and workouts with John kept him from worrying too much about his father. It also helped him get back into the best physical shape he’d ever been in, especially with the manual labour he was doing every day, along with the workouts with John. That was something that also Felicity noticed and very much appreciated.  
“We gotta go shopping any time soon if these guns keep on growing,” she grinned and squeezed his biceps when they were lounging on the couch one afternoon. It reminded him that he was still wearing the stuff Felicity had bought for him all these weeks ago. And while he wore the stuff proudly because it reminded him every day of how much she had helped him, he agreed that it was time to stock up on his wardrobe.  
“You just want to get me another cupcake pajamas.”  
She snickered while drawing circles with her finger over his arm. “Yeah well, you ripped the shirt of the last one I got you, so it’s only fair.”

That was true. One evening when he bent over to carry her up the steps to their bedroom, the seams on both of his sleeves ripped the moment he picked Felicity up. She had more trouble parting with the shredded garment than he had, though, and he still had the pants that she insisted on him wearing at least once a week. Sometimes he just did it to make her laugh, too.

“Let’s do it tomorrow. We can have dinner afterwards at that new place they opened two weeks ago.” she suggested and even though Oliver would have preferred a home cooked meal with her alone, it sounded like a good idea to get out again. With the upcoming trial there wasn’t any reason to hide behind closed doors for much longer, anyway.

 

Two days later, Oliver was unpacking the groceries while Felicity went upstairs to change when a loud knock came on the front door. Lucky immediately barreled through the hallway, barking at the intruder who barely waited 5 seconds before he knocked again, just as forcefully.  
Grumbling, Oliver shut the fridge and stalked over to the front door.  
“Lucky!” One comment stopped the barking but the dog stayed close by his side, his eyes focused on the door in front of them.  
Opening it, Oliver came face to face with a fuming Laurel Lance, holding a crumpled sheet of paper in her hand. Since they had gotten a copy of the exact same letter just this morning from their lawyer, Laurel’s visit didn’t really surprise him. Still, he couldn’t hold back the annoyance at seeing her on their front step.

“Really, Oliver?” Laurel seethed and waved the paper in front of her face. “Sinking so low that you now have to involve a lawyer to get me kicked out of my place? How dare you!”

He really didn’t want to draw a scene on their front step but inviting her in was totally out of question. So he tried to keep his voice calm and polite, despite the anger bubbling up in him.   
“It is my place and me asking you to leave wasn’t working, so yeah.” he shrugged.

His tone and nonchalance seemed to infuriate Laurel even more.  
“That apartment is the least I deserve after everything you’ve put me through!” she screamed at him, so much that it even surprised Oliver for a moment.  
“After everything I put you through?” he forced through gritted teeth, fighting hard to keep his temper at bay. “Do I need to remind you whose daughter died in the backseat of your car 4 years ago?”

It felt as if she didn’t even hear him. “I’m talking about the emotional abuse I had to endure in all the time we were dating. You were never there, always working. I asked for your help during wedding prep, OUR wedding, but you rather worked 7 days a week than to help me with reporters and all that stuff. Every interview I’ve done, people were asking why you weren’t there! You have no idea how much you humiliated me and how little you even cared about that!”

The more she spoke, the wider Oliver’s eyes went. In all the years he hadn’t seen her, she had clearly lost her mind if she was serious about the crap she was throwing at him now. She stunned him speechless for a second.  
The moment he felt a warm hand on his back though, the tension left his body momentarily. When he moved aside, Felicity stepped up beside him. Laurel’s eyes immediately zoned in on her and turned into angry slits when Felicity wrapped her arm around Oliver’s waist.  
“You need to leave, now, or I’m going to call the cops. And I’m not talking about the ones that are in your father’s pocket. I also doubt you want to get a report of domestic disturbance against Oliver added to the pile you already made for yourself.” she spoke with a calm but firm tone, her eyes wandering over to the crumpled paper in Laurel’s hands.

It was obvious Laurel wanted to lash out at her and Oliver prepared himself to finally step between the women and make her leave when Laurel looked from Felicity to him and straightened her back.  
“This isn’t over.”

“Oh but it is,” Felicity shot back, a hint of a mocking smile playing on her lips. “That document in your hand says so. Have a good night.”  
With that, she closed the door in Laurel’s face and let out a shaky breath the moment she took a step away from the door.  
Oliver silently followed her into the living room, impressed with the amount of backbone she showed each and every day but he could also see her shaking with obvious anger.  
“How can someone be so… so, gosh, I don’t know… so dense?!” she snapped and plopped on the couch. Her fingers itched to do something, anything, to release the anger bubbling in her, so rubbing Lucky’s ears seemed like the perfect thing to do.  
“How can she be so adamant to stay in that apartment, even though she clearly knows it doesn’t belong to her and she has no right to stay there? I don’t get it.”

He slowly sat down next to her and pulled her hands away from Lucky who looked like he wasn’t sure if to like or dislike the rough ear massage Felicity was giving him.  
“Because it’s convenient,” he explained. “Because that’s how she is. Moving out of that apartment would either mean finding a new one, or moving back to her father’s place. Since that option is off the table she would have to get active and go out apartment-hunting. And that is something she never had to do, especially not having to pay for one herself, too.”

“So that behavior is nothing but laziness?”

“That, and the fact that she refuses to give up her status. And moving out of that building would be just that to her clique. It’s all about the image with each of the people she hangs out with and if any of them caught wind of me kicking her out of her place, people will start talking. She doesn’t want that. That’s something she always hated.”

“Yeah but that’s her problem to deal with, not yours! She should just get her stuff and move out of your life.” she huffed, her anger slowly abating.

“And our lawyer will take care of it.” he assured her. “You already said it, there is no way she can avoid this now.”

“But she can make it harder on you.”

“Which will only causer her more trouble as well. Don’t worry, Felicity, I’ve learned from the past. I won’t let her get away with this any longer.” he assured her, pulled her feet in his lap and massaged the thoughts about his ex away from her for the rest of the night.


End file.
